| Early Schooling He never did well with rote learning as a student. He daydreamed about what it would be like to ride alongside a light beam. Imagination Success came from imagination and creativity. He once declared, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Unconventional Thinking He questioned conventional wisdom, challenged authority, and marveled at mysteries that struck others as mundane. "It is important to foster individuality, for only the individual can produce the new ideas." |
The Compass
When he was five, his father
showed him a pocket
compass. Albert realized
that something in empty
space was moving the needle
and later said that this
experience made a deep and
lasting impression.
Inspiring Reading
When he was 10, a family
friend who was a medical
student introduced him to
science, mathematics, and
philosophy texts, including
Euclid’s elements. Einstein
called it the holy little
geometry book. He began to
understand deductive
reasoning, integral to
theoretical physics.
Underappreciated
Rather than completing high
school, he applied directly to
the Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology in Zurich. He
was required to take an
entrance exam, which he did
not pass.
When he was five, his father
showed him a pocket
compass. Albert realized
that something in empty
space was moving the needle
and later said that this
experience made a deep and
lasting impression.
Inspiring Reading
When he was 10, a family
friend who was a medical
student introduced him to
science, mathematics, and
philosophy texts, including
Euclid’s elements. Einstein
called it the holy little
geometry book. He began to
understand deductive
reasoning, integral to
theoretical physics.
Underappreciated
Rather than completing high
school, he applied directly to
the Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology in Zurich. He
was required to take an
entrance exam, which he did
not pass.
Intriguing Thoughts
That same year, at age 16, he performed his famous thought experiment, visualizing traveling alongside a beam of light.
Patent Clerk
A friend’s father helped him get a job at the Federal Office for Intellectual Property. (Patent Office) He and friends
formed a weekly discussion club on science and philosophy.
Writings ignored for decades
In his spare time, he had four papers published in the leading German physics journal, in the same year. At the time,
they were not noticed by most physicists as being important, and many of those who did notice rejected them
outright. Some remained controversial for years. Today, all four papers are recognized as tremendous achievements.
That same year, at age 16, he performed his famous thought experiment, visualizing traveling alongside a beam of light.
Patent Clerk
A friend’s father helped him get a job at the Federal Office for Intellectual Property. (Patent Office) He and friends
formed a weekly discussion club on science and philosophy.
Writings ignored for decades
In his spare time, he had four papers published in the leading German physics journal, in the same year. At the time,
they were not noticed by most physicists as being important, and many of those who did notice rejected them
outright. Some remained controversial for years. Today, all four papers are recognized as tremendous achievements.
