Albert Einstein - Story

DRIVING MR. EINSTEIN

Einstein was on the road again, and bucolic scenes of the rich countryside of the northeastern Unites States graced the car window, reflecting the great strength of a country that emerged from the devastation of World War II relatively unscathed. He was on another tour of the great American universities, guest lecturing to standing only crowds, and warmly received by an adoring public.

That very few actually few actually understood what he was actually talking about no longer troubled him. After the New York Times carried a front-page article confirming his theory of relativity, he was suddenly ‘the famous Dr. Einstein’. Very much in demand, the gracious scientist tried his best to fulfill the various requests that made their way to Princeton.

He was frequently asked to deliver lectures on physics to the leading universities across the country, and did so obligingly, hoping to spurn a greater interest in the love of his life, the pure sciences. As he did not drive, Harry, his dedicated chauffer, always accompanied him. Harry would faithfully attend each lecture of Einstein’s, while seated in the back row.

One day, after Einstein had finished yet another lecture and was coming out from the auditorium and was entering into his vehicle, Harry addressed him and said, “Professor Einstein, I’ve heard your lecture so many times now, that if you ever needed me to, I would be able to deliver it to perfection myself!”

As fate would have it, a few weeks later as they approached Brown University for a lecture, Einstein began to feel ill. “Harry, I’m not feeling too well today. Since no one knows me at Brown, perhaps you could deliver the lecture as Einstein, and I could sit in the back row as Harry,” Einstein asked his loyal chauffer.

“Certainly, Professor,” Harry eagerly replied.

Meanwhile on campus, two graduate students were arguing among themselves, about which one was smarter.

“Not only I am smarter than you,” one told his associate, “but I am smarter than Einstein! And to prove it to you, after Einstein lectures this afternoon, I will ask him a question that even he can’t answer.”

Later that afternoon, Harry delivered the lecture to perfection, not a single word out of place, while Einstein sat in the back row playing the “chauffer”, and enjoying a nice nap for a change.

Just as Harry was descending the podium, however, the boastful graduate student intercepted him, and began to ask a question about the theory of relativity, one that involved a lot of complex calculations and equations. Ever quick on his feet, Harry replied to the graduate student, “The answer to that question is actually quite simple! In fact, it’s so simple, that I am going to let my chauffer answer it!”

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A. Einstein

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Albert Einstein as a child

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."

- A. Einstein