04. A Truly Beautiful Mind

 SUMMARY

The chapter recounts the life of Albert Einstein, the greatest scientist of the 20th century. Einstein was considered unusual by his mother. He was highly skilled in mathematics and physics. After graduating in 1900, he worked as a technical expert in 1902 where he assessed other people's inventions and secretly developed his own ideas. He became world famous after he published his General Theory of Relativity in 1915.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. He worked for world peace and democracy in the later years of his life.

Thinking About The Text

Q1. Here are some headings for paragraphs in the text. Write the number(s) of the paragraph(s) for each title against the heading. The first one is done for you.

(i) Einstein’s equation                                                   9

(ii) Einstein meets his future wife                 

(iii) The making of a violinist

(iv) Mileva and Einstein’s mother

(v) A letter that launched the arms race

(vi) A desk drawer full of ideas

(vii) Marriage and divorce

Ans –

(i) — 9

(ii) — 7

(iii) — 3

(iv) — 10

(v) — 16

(vi) — 8

(vii) — 11

Q2. Who had these opinions about Einstein?

(i) He was boring.

(ii) He was stupid and would never succeed in life.

(iii) He was a freak.

Ans –

(i) – The playmates of Einstein called him 'Brother Boring'.

(ii) – A headmaster 

(iii) – Mother of Albert Einstein

Q3. Explain what the reasons for the following are.

(i) Einstein leaving the school in Munich for good.

(ii) Einstein wanting to study in Switzerland rather than in Munich.

(iii) Einstein seeing in Mileva an ally.

(iv) What do these tell you about Einstein?

Ans –

(i) – Einstein left the school because he hated the school's regimentation.

(ii) – Einstein ’s parents had moved to Milan, and left their son with relatives. After prolonged discussion, Einstein got his wish to continue his education in German-speaking Switzerland, in a city which was more liberal than Munich.

(iii) – Einstein felt a special interest in a fellow student, Mileva Maric, whom he found to be a “clever creature.” 

(iv) – These tell us about Einstein that he hated strict discipline, he wanted to study in a free atmosphere and he had great respect for an intelligent girl student because few could get degrees.

Q4. What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent office? Why?

Ans – While he was supposed to be assessing other people’s inventions, Einstein
was actually developing his own ideas in secret. He is said to have jokingly called his desk drawer at work the “bureau of theoretical physics.”

Q5. Why did Einstein write a letter to Franklin Roosevelt?

Ans – When the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, Einstein emigrated to the United States. Five years later, the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin had American physicists in an uproar. Many of them in an uproar: very had fled from Fascism, just as Einstein had, and they were afraid the Nazis could build and use an atomic bomb. At the urging of a colleague, Einstein wrote a letter to the American President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, on 2 August 1939, in which he warned him “A single bomb of this type (nuclear bomb) exploded in a port, might very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory.”

Q6. How did Einstein react to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Ans – The atomic bomb devasted Nagasaki and Hiroshima the cities of Japan. Einstein was deeply shaken by the extent of the destruction. And this time he wrote a public missive to the United Nations. 

Q7. Why does the world remember Einstein as a “world citizen”?

Ans – The word remembers him as a 'word citizen' because he believed in universal peace. He was against the butchering of humanity as well as the arms race. When there was the race for becoming atomic power, he was worried about the aftermaths of the bomb. 

Q8. Here are some facts from Einstein’s life. Arrange them in chronological order.

[ ] Einstein publishes his special theory of relativity.

[ ] He is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.

[ ] Einstein writes a letter to U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and warns against Germany’s building of an atomic bomb.

[ ] Einstein attends a high school in Munich.

[ ] Einstein’s family moves to Milan.

[ ] Einstein is born in the German city of Ulm.

[ ] Einstein joins a university in Zurich, where he meets Mileva.

[ ] Einstein dies. 

[ ] He provides a new interpretation of gravity.

[ ] Tired of the school’s regimentation, Einstein withdraws from school.

[ ] He works in a patent office as a technical expert.

[10] When Hitler comes to power, Einstein leaves Germany for the United States.

Ans –

[7] Einstein publishes his special theory of relativity.

[9] He is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.

[11] Einstein writes a letter to U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and warns against Germany’s building of an atomic bomb.

[2] Einstein attends a high school in Munich.

[4] Einstein’s family moves to Milan.

[1] Einstein is born in the German city of Ulm.

[5] Einstein joins a university in Zurich, where he meets Mileva.

[12] Einstein dies. 

[8] He provides a new interpretation of gravity.

[3] Tired of the school’s regimentation, Einstein withdraws from school.

[6] He works in a patent office as a technical expert.

[10] When Hitler comes to power, Einstein leaves Germany for the United States.

Thinking About Language

I. Here are some sentences from the story. Choose the word from the brackets which can be substituted for the italicised words in the sentences.

1. A few years later, the marriage faltered. (failed, broke, became weak).

2. Einstein was constantly at odds with people at the university. (on bad terms, in disagreement, unhappy)

3. The newspapers proclaimed his work as “a scientific revolution.” (declared, praised, showed)

4. Einstein got ever more involved in politics, agitating for an end to the arms buildup. (campaigning, fighting, supporting)

5. At the age of 15, Einstein felt so stifled that he left the school for good. (permanently, for his benefit, for a short time)

6. Five years later, the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin had American physicists in an uproar. (in a state of commotion, full of criticism, in a desperate state)

7. Science wasn’t the only thing that appealed to the dashing young man with the walrus moustache. (interested, challenged, worried)

Ans –

1. Became weak

2. In disagreement

3. Declared

4. Fighting

5. Permanently

6. In a desperate state

7. Interested

II. Study the following sentences.

• Einstein became a gifted amateur violinist, maintaining this skill throughout his life.

• Letters survive in which they put their affection into words, mixing science
with tenderness.

The parts in italics in the above sentences begin with –ing verbs, and are called participial phrases. Participial phrases say something more about the person or thing talked about or the idea expressed by the sentence as a whole. For example:

– Einstein became a gifted amateur violinist. He maintained this skill
throughout his life.

Complete the sentences below by filling in the blanks with suitable participial clauses. The information that has to be used in the phrases is provided as a sentence in brackets.

1. __________, the firefighters finally put out the fire. (They worked round the clock.)

2. She watched the sunset above the mountain,__________ (She noticed the colours blending softly into one another.)

3. The excited horse pawed the ground rapidly, __________ (While it neighed continually.)

4. __________, I found myself in Bangalore, instead of Benaras. (I had taken the wrong train.)

5. __________, I was desperate to get to the bathroom. (I had not bathed for two days)

6. The stone steps,__________ needed to be replaced. (They were worn down).

7. The actor received hundreds of letters from his fans,__________(They asked him to send them his photograph.)

Ans –

1. Working round the clock

2. Noticing the colours blending softly into one another 

3. Neighing it continually 

4. Taking the wrong train

5. Having no bath for two days

6. Being worn down they

7. Asking him to send them his photograph