He’s A Regular Einstein

Tonight I had the pleasure of going to tonight’s City Live! featuring Walter Issacson, author of the recent biography of Albert Einstein, and John Norton, a foremost expert on Einstein’s science and is the director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Center of Philosophy of Science. The moderator was Regina Schulte-Ladbeck, who is an astrophysicist with the University of Pittsburgh. That’s a whole lotta smarts in the room.

I wrote a paper on Einstein in 4th grade, and I’m guessing I didn’t expound greatly on his Theory of Relativity (either Special or General) in that paper. I’ve alway been fascinated with his life, his genius, and his politics and religion. I learned quite a few things, and was quite surprised by the quality and vigorousness of questions for the panelists. Some things I picked up:

• Einstein was not an athiest, nor a devout Jew or Christian. He was a deist who believed in a spiritual power woven into the mechanics of the cosmos.
• While there’s speculation that his wife helped him compose his Theory of Relativity, most of it is largely unfounded.
• He confessed that if he wasn’t a scientist, that would probably either be a lighthouse keeper or a cobbler.
• Einstein was a great fan of Mozart, and loved to play the violin.
• There are two primary ways that scientists (maybe most notably physicists) can approach solving problems: arithmetically (through the beauty of equations) and geometrically (using geometry). Einstein started with the latter early in his career as exercised through his “thought experiments”, but strictly followed the former method later as he got older. The panel speculated this could have led to his consumption/obsession with trying to form the Grand Unified Theory.
• Even hours before his death after he had suffered an aneurysm, he was attempting to create the Grand Unified Theory.

It took place at the New Hazlett Theatre in the North Side, which is a really cool little venue with a really sharp lobby and very cozy feel inside. Stadium seating prevailed, and made for a really sweet venue.

Wine and appetizers were served afterward, and book signings abounded! Kudos to Eve Picker, Kim O’Dell, and Sara Radelet and the crew at City Live! for putting this event together.