Albert Einstein

Einstein having fun (http://www.deism.com/einstein.htm)

He who said this meant it, because he lived by it. Einstein was born on the 14th of March, 1879, the son of Pauline Einstein and Hermann Einstein, who owned a company that made and sold electrical equipment. As a child he did not show much aptitude for anything, much less what he was when he died. Through the year of 1905, he wrote and published 3 papers. One on Brownian motion, another about the photoelectric effect in physics, and, of course, his famous special theory of relativity. He lived through both world wars, and all over Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and the United States. He died April 18, 1955 in Princeton, New Jersey. But it wasn’t just his work that made him one of the most respected men of all time. As a result of his ideals and philosophies, Albert Einstein more than deserves the right to be called a hero.

Einstein teaches (http://being.publicradio.org/programs/einsteinsgod/particulars.shtml)

At first, the only support for Einstein’s work came from himself -and he stood by them until others came to believe it and it gained credibility. Several expert historians say the same thing in different words: “Einstein’s theories often contradicted those of other, more generally accepted scientists” (Galison). He made sure that the skeptics respected his ideas, which means he was ready to defend them, even if it seemed a lot of tedious work was involved. He stood by his beliefs, even if he had no way of proving them. Historians also say: “…’at last to his recognition of science as the devotion, in his words, of "a deeply religious unbeliever’–his final embrace of seeming incommensurables in his Third Paradise” (Holton). He worked science into a religion, because he was born Jewish, and might have found this amusing. He also did this because he was devoted to his “cosmic religion”- science. His selflessness for the glory of discovery shows he is doing this for everyone, not just himself. His advancements were his gift to the world.

Einstein in Germany (http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/56465611.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=45B0EB3381F7834DBBA1C1E5B353CBBCBAF1C0414435D166D46BDAF8B2D5114A)

Albert Einstein was a person who hated war. He believed that there was no justification to take the life of another. It is a widely acknowledged fact that Einstein was a pacifist. (“Albert Einstein”) The reason why is because he always had others on his mind, to keep the fighting down. He cared about the world and wanted it to be a happy place. He stayed in Germany after WWI to try and keep some of their rights for the losing side. He felt a connection with his people that can only be felt by living there your whole life. He made many look back with bad feelings. Einstein was a light in the dark after the war in those unforgiving times. Every man, woman, or child was affected by him in some way.

It was this “over doing” of the necessary that makes this man a hero without contest. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary a hero is a man admired for his achievements and qualities. (Merriam-Webster 337) Albert Einstein has been admired for both. He was a genius, a philosopher, and a great influence to the world who wanted nothing for himself. He inspires me to try and do better than my best, help others, and think outside the box of myself. If it were not for Einstein, we would not be thinking the type of things we are thinking today.

"“Albert Einstein”-Scientists: Their Lives and Works." The Center for History of Physics. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web., 9 Dec. 2006-2010. Web.

"Albert Einstein." Scientists: Their Lives and Works. Gale, 2006. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 9 Jan. 2011.

Galison, Peter. "Einstein's Time." Daedalus. (2003): 1-15. Print.

Holton, Gerald. "Einstein's Third Paradise." Daedalus. (2002): 26- 34. Print.

Zane Publishing Inc./Merriam-Webster Corp. "Hero." Def. 2. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Print.