Here's a link to an acticle about our good friend Al. I don't know how accurate this stuff is, that's why I posted it here for you guys who are "in the know". Mildly interesting, at least.

http://www.neatorama.com/2007/03/26/...bout-einstein/

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I'm like one of those idiot savants...well, except for the savant part.

As far as I know, it's all true.

The thing about encouraging Roosevelt to build the Bomb makes a lot of sense if you consider Einstein's history. After all, he was Jewish, and therefore not really thrilled with the idea of a Nazi victory. It's why quite a lot of members of the Manhattan Project were as determined as they were, apparently; I've heard that information about the status of the war in Germany and the German version of the Project was kept from the scientists to keep them working in case--as happened--the US government chose to use the Bomb against Japan, which the scientists didn't really care about.

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Gillian

"Now everyone was giving her that kind of look UFOlogists get when they suddenly say, 'Hey, if you shade your eyes you can see it is just a flock of geese after all.'"

"You can't erase icing."

"I can't believe it doesn't work! I found it on the internet, man!"

There was a documentary on the Good Prof's involvement in the Manhattan project the other day that kind of said the opposite, but I don't know one way or the other how true it is: It stated that the team thought work on the bomb should have stopped once Germany surrendered, and they petitioned the President to not use the bomb on Japan, and that both the team and Einstein were horrified to find out it had been used.

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"I have this theory that the Apollo missions were faked when NASA found out that general relativity was wrong because the Earth was expanding due to the Sun's iron core being influenced by magnetic waves from the electric universe after being perturbed by Planet X and thereby causing global warming. Where should I start a thread about this?" ~ ToSeek

"Those are the people that wonder how a thermos knows whether to keep something hot or keep something cold." ~ NeoWatcher

I know most of the ´facts´. But this one seems to be ridiculous, don´t you think so:

When Einstein was five years old and ill in bed one day, his father showed him a simple pocket compass. What interested young Einstein was whichever the case was turned, the needle always pointed in the same direction. He thought there must be some force in what was presumed empty space that acted on the compass.

I dunno; sounds like a rather astute observation by a five year old on the presence of earth's magnetic field. The article didn't say no one else knew about the field. But it's not far-fetched to believe a five year old didn't, but was able to come to that conclusion.

The part that seems wrong to me is the first "fact" that said when he was born he looked "odd" and "disfigured" but that he grew up to look normal. Einstein looks normal?

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I'm like one of those idiot savants...well, except for the savant part.

You would be a believer if you had seen me at the age of 5 ... and could see me now at the age of ... well, let´s say 70-

Absolutely! (I mean it !)

Facts 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 are not odd.

Of course, it is suitable in a way.

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics. I assure you, mine are much greater." -Albert einstein.

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To the regular visitor of internet bulletin boards it is clear that it's an excellent idea your parents get to choose your real name.

Yeah, I phrased myself badly on that one. (I blame the Ambien.) Say rather that the government knew the scientists didn't want to bomb Japan, so they kept information about Germany's progress--or lack thereof--away from the scientists as much as possible so they'd keep working. Unfortunately, I don't remember where I came cross that information, and it may well be wrong.

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Gillian

"Now everyone was giving her that kind of look UFOlogists get when they suddenly say, 'Hey, if you shade your eyes you can see it is just a flock of geese after all.'"

"You can't erase icing."

"I can't believe it doesn't work! I found it on the internet, man!"

Ahh. Ok. That's exactly how I understood it also

At least I didn't misspell anything there

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"I have this theory that the Apollo missions were faked when NASA found out that general relativity was wrong because the Earth was expanding due to the Sun's iron core being influenced by magnetic waves from the electric universe after being perturbed by Planet X and thereby causing global warming. Where should I start a thread about this?" ~ ToSeek

"Those are the people that wonder how a thermos knows whether to keep something hot or keep something cold." ~ NeoWatcher

There's one that's kinda stupid.

It says "In 1895, at the age of 17, Albert Einstein applied for early admission into the Swiss Federal Polytechnical School (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule or ETH). He passed the math and science sections of the entrance exam, but failed the rest (history, languages, geography, etc.)!"

The source for the first Odd Fact lists his birthday as March 14, 1879. There's no way that he could have been 17 in 1895.

In fact, he tried to gain early entry into the ETH, by taking the test. The equivalent today would be something like a high school sophomore trying to test into MIT. Today, if he passed the math and science exam, MIT would probably take him, regardless of his geography score. He was approached by others and persuaded to lend his name to the letter. He was never directly involved in the research, so it's not surprising that he was not included in the project--in addition to his German ties.

One item that didn't make the list was that Einstein first came up with the idea for his initial theory (SR) while attending a family reunion.

He was sitting under a tree eating an apple when a relative fell on his head.

Bingo!

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A person's name, or a mark representing it, as signed personally or by deputy, as in subscribing a letter or other document.

I heard that one quoted as him sitting in a tram watching the clock of the church...

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To the regular visitor of internet bulletin boards it is clear that it's an excellent idea your parents get to choose your real name.

Aside from SR and GR, didn't he also discover WVaR when he married his cousin? (West Virginia Relativity). Sorry couldn't help myself.

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I'm like one of those idiot savants...well, except for the savant part.

I also heard somewhere he was decorated for bravery when he freed the Hebrews from Napolean.

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"I have this theory that the Apollo missions were faked when NASA found out that general relativity was wrong because the Earth was expanding due to the Sun's iron core being influenced by magnetic waves from the electric universe after being perturbed by Planet X and thereby causing global warming. Where should I start a thread about this?" ~ ToSeek

"Those are the people that wonder how a thermos knows whether to keep something hot or keep something cold." ~ NeoWatcher

I didn't know he was unfaithful. I guess with all that fame comes the girls with it. Maybe those eveninghs helped him focus while he was at work.

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"I will do my best to understand and explain the universe from big to small without invoking miracles, unrepeatable events, or divine intervention. In place of those things I will use observations, mathematics, and science."


-Cross
My travel blog

Some of my Astrophotography


Those that lack education have a hard time understanding its value. - Cross

Well it was certianly the inspiration for his lesser-known but equally brilliant equation: W=Fm^2 where W= women, F=Fame, and m=Money.

(Just to avoid offending any of the female BAUT community, no I don't think all women only want men with money/fame. But you have to admit there's a measurable ammount who do).

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I'm like one of those idiot savants...well, except for the savant part.

oddly some of the people I respect most from the 20th century were womanizers - but I didn't learn it until later.

__________________
"I will do my best to understand and explain the universe from big to small without invoking miracles, unrepeatable events, or divine intervention. In place of those things I will use observations, mathematics, and science."


-Cross
My travel blog

Some of my Astrophotography


Those that lack education have a hard time understanding its value. - Cross

One story I heard about Einstein doesn't jive with this list's item about his 'strange contract' with his wife.

The story goes that someone asked Einstein how he and his wife manage the household affairs. Einstein replied, "We have a simple arrangement that has worked well for us in our marriage. We both agree that she will make the small decisions, and I'll will make the large decisions, and so far there haven't been any large decisions."

Alas, it's probably apocryphal, although my wife loves that story, for some reason.

I'll add a fact (I think) I heard or read somewhere--

Albert Einstein had 7 of the same suit made so he wouldn't have to think about it when getting dressed in the morning.

Todd

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Todd (Bowie, MD, US, North America, Earth, Sol System, Vega region, Local Bubble, Orion arm, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Virgo A Cluster, Virgo supercluster, the universe in which spock is clean shaven)

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.

personal page: http://blog.astrosketches.info