Class: IX

A Truly Beautiful Mind (Beehive)

(Extra Q+ A and Notes)

INTRODUCTION

This brief biographical sketch of the great genius Albert Einstein gives a glimpse
into his early life and his contribution to the world of science. The story brings
forth many traits of his personality, the chief being his interest in Mathematics
and Physics, along with his humanistic desires and tendencies.

THEME

This brief sketch of the life and achievements of the great genius, Albert Einstein,
reveals that extraordinary personalities with exceptional intellectual capabilities
are not necessarily noticed during early years. The author focuses on two aspects
of Einstein’s personality- as a scientist and as a human being. As a scientist, his
marvelous discoveries created a revolution and as a human being, he worked
towards peace and democracy in the world.

MESSAGE

This account of the life and personality of the famous scientist Einstein gives us
the message that a beautiful mind possesses not only innovative ideas but also
makes sincere efforts to use these ideas for the well being of mankind. Science
should be solely devoted to the promotion of worldwide peace and prosperity. If
used for destructive purposes, the scientific inventions and discoveries can wreak
(cause) havoc on the earth.
Extra Short answer type questions
Q1. Who was Albert Einstein? Why is he famous ?
Ans. Albert Einstein was the famous physicist of the twentieth century. His groundbreaking
papers: about light, the motion of particles, the electrodynamics of moving bodies, and energy
changed forever our understanding of space, time and our entire cosmos - and transformed the
name 'Einstein' into a synonym for genius. He is still famous because of the relevance of his
theories even today. They are universally accepted and followed in the whole world.

Q.2. What kind of a pupil was Albert Einstein? What was his headmaster's opinion about
him?
Ans. Albert Einstein was not a bad pupil. He secured good marks in almost all the subjects and
had special interest in Mathematics and Science. His headmaster did not have a favourable
opinion about him because Einstein hated the over-discipline and control, in the school which
often led to clashes between him and the teachers. Einstein was a difficult student to manage
and so his headmaster felt he would not succeed in any profession.

Q3. What things appealed to Albert Einstein at the University of Zurich ?

Ans. Albert Einstein came to the Zurich University because Switzerland was considered to
be more liberal than Munich. He was highly interested in science. Besides, he was also drawn
to a young Serbian girl, Mileva Maric, who was a student at the university. She was clever and
shared the same interest as him. He found in her an ally against the 'philistines' i.e., those who
were hostile towards culture and the arts.

Q4. What kind of work did Albert do before getting fame as a scientist ?
Ans. He remained unemployed for about 2 years, after graduating. He worked as a teaching
assistant, gave private tuitions and at last, at the age of 23, he got a job as a technical expert in
the patent office, Berlin. His job was to assess the inventions of people for patenting. He got an
opportunity to experiment his own ideas and theories related to science, at his workplace.

Q.5. Which theories and formulae did Einstein develop and got published?
Ans. Einstein worked on Relativity and published two theories - 'Special Theory of Relativity in
 1905 and 'General Theory of Relativity' in 1915. He gave the formula E = mc2 which
established the relationship between mass and energy.

Extra Long Answer Questions

Q1. Why was Einstein considered boring, stupid and a freak ?
Ans. Einstein was considered a freak by his mother because his head seemed a bit too large. His
playmates thought he was boring because he did not know what to do with them. They referred to him
as 'brother boring'. Moreover, his interests were different from theirs. He loved to play with
mechanical toys and perhaps found the other children boring as they could not meet his level of
intelligence. Thus, he preferred playing all by himself.
His headmaster considered him stupid and incapable of succeeding in any profession. He was of the
opinion that choosing which career to pursue was also of no use for the young Einstein as he would be
a failure in life. Actually, Einstein, being a genius hated regimentation in his school. He could foresee
the futility of imposed discipline and control. He thus rebelled against it and used to clash with his
teachers, who found it difficult to control him.

Q2. Why was Einstein against regimentation? How did it affect him and his
teachers, too?
Ans. Einstein was against regimentation because he felt stifled in such an environment. It was not
giving him the freedom to think or be creative. He was being forced to comply with accepted
actions and behaviours. His free will was being suppressed and he was not being able to grow in a
natural way. His initiative to discover new ideas was being curbed. The teachers and the
headmaster thought they knew what was the best for children. They wanted to groom them in the
way they wanted. It made Einstein rebel against the teachers with whom he often had clashes. They
failed to understand his potential. His rational, questioning and logical mind posed a challenge for
them. They could not provide him the intellectual stimulation which he needed. They wanted to
teach him, what they knew and wanted, rather than what he wanted. Einstein knew that only self
imposed discipline, could mould successful and responsible citizens of
tomorrow.
Understood how imposing, they impose very strict discipline on children and kill their personal
initiatives in doing any work. They are like gardeners who think that it is essential to keep shrubs in
good condition through regular pruning. This they think will improve a plant's shape, as well as
encourage flowers and fruits. By doing so they forget that they prevent the natural growth of the
plant. It has to grow the way nature wants it to grow up. Similarly by imposing discipline on a child
the teachers may be able to get good results in the examinations. But they forget the fact that these
children will never grow up in a responsible manner. They will behave only when they know they
will be punished for misbehaviour. The child who grows up in an atmosphere of self-imposed
discipline will certainly be more responsible in life.