{"id":6729,"date":"2017-03-16T09:33:47","date_gmt":"2017-03-16T16:33:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/?p=6729"},"modified":"2020-10-15T22:15:26","modified_gmt":"2020-10-16T06:15:26","slug":"how-einstein-learned-physics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/","title":{"rendered":"How Einstein Learned Physics"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"652\" height=\"367\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/young-portrait.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/young-portrait.jpg 652w, https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/young-portrait-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 652px) 100vw, 652px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>I recently finished Walter Isaacson\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Einstein-Life-Universe-Walter-Isaacson\/dp\/0743264746\/?&amp;_encoding=UTF8&amp;tag=scottcom-20&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=bb9055afcf3260aca8fffcd86a6a548e&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">biography of Albert Einstein<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=scottcom-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\">. The biography covers not just Einstein\u2019s intellectual achievements, but also his anti-war activism, marital difficulties and celebrity. However, I wanted to share just the one part I found most interesting: how did Einstein learn?<\/p>\n<p>Wanting to understand how Einstein learned physics may, at first, seem as pointless as trying to fly by watching birds and flapping your arms really hard. How do you emulate someone who is synonymous with genius?<\/p>\n<p>However, I think the investigation can still bear fruits, even if you or I might not have the intellectual gifts to revolutionize physics. Whatever Einstein did to learn, he clearly did something right, so there\u2019s merit in trying to figure out what that was.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Smart Was Einstein? (Did He Really Fail Elementary Mathematics?)<\/h2>\n<div class=\"inline-podcast\">\n<small>Listen to this article<\/small><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"20\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/909200014&#038;color=%23219895&#038;inverse=false&#038;auto_play=false&#038;show_user=true\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>One of the most common stories about Einstein is that he failed grade school math. I think this is one of those ideas that sounds so good it has to get repeated, regardless of whether it is true or not.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, it\u2019s not true. Einstein was a strong math student from a very young age. He himself admits:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI never failed in mathematics. Before I was fifteen I had mastered differential and integral calculus.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>While the story about Einstein being an early dullard is certainly false, it\u2019s not the case that he was universally regarded as a genius, either.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Albert_2Einsteins_exam_of_maturity_grades_color2.jpeg\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1479\" height=\"2419\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Albert_2Einsteins_exam_of_maturity_grades_color2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6740\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Albert_2Einsteins_exam_of_maturity_grades_color2.jpeg 1479w, https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Albert_2Einsteins_exam_of_maturity_grades_color2-183x300.jpeg 183w, https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Albert_2Einsteins_exam_of_maturity_grades_color2-768x1256.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Albert_2Einsteins_exam_of_maturity_grades_color2-626x1024.jpeg 626w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1479px) 100vw, 1479px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Einstein&#8217;s grades (highest grade=6)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>In college, Einstein often struggled in math, getting 5s and 6s (out of a possible 6) in physics, but getting only 4s in most of his math courses (barely a passing grade). His mathematics professor, and future collaborator, Hermann Minkowski called him a \u201clazy dog\u201d and physics professor, Jean Pernet, even flunked Einstein with a score of 1 in an experimental physics course.<\/p>\n<p>At the end of college, Einstein had the dubious distinction of graduating as the second-to-worst student in the class.<\/p>\n<p>The difficulty Einstein had was undoubtedly due in part to his non-conformist streak and rebellious attitude, which didn\u2019t sit well in an academic environment. This would follow him in his future academic career, when he was struggling to find teaching jobs at universities, even after he had already done the work which would later win him the Nobel prize.<\/p>\n<p>Einstein\u2019s discoveries in physics were truly revolutionary, which certainly earns him the title of \u201cgenius\u201d by any reasonable standard. However, the early picture of Einstein is more complicated than that. All of this indicates to me, at least, that it can often be very easy to judge the genius of someone after the fact, but perhaps harder to predict in advance.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Did Einstein Learn Math and Physics?<\/h2>\n<p>Given Einstein\u2019s enormous contributions to physics, I think it\u2019s now worthwhile to ask how he learned it.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the biography, I took notes whenever his methods of learning and discovery were mentioned. Then, I tried to synthesize these observations into several methods or behaviors that appeared to have enabled both Einstein\u2019s revolutionary discoveries and his deep understanding of the subject matter.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Learning comes from solving hard problems, not attending classes<\/h3>\n<p>One thing that becomes apparent when looking at Einstein\u2019s early schooling was both his distaste for rote memorization and attending classes. The physics professor that flunked him, did so, in no small part, because Einstein often skipped class. As he claims, \u201cI played hooky a lot and studied the masters of theoretical physics with a holy zeal at home.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-6734\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"379\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Albert_Einstein_as_a_child.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Albert_Einstein_as_a_child.jpeg 379w, https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Albert_Einstein_as_a_child-213x300.jpeg 213w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 379px) 100vw, 379px\" \/><figcaption>Einstein as a boy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>This habit of skipping classes to focus on solving hard problems in his spare time was one cultivated by his uncle, Jakob Einstein, who first introduced him to algebra. By the time he was 12, Einstein already had a, \u201cpredilection for solving complicated problems in arithmetic,\u201d and his parents bought him an advanced mathematical textbook he could study from during the summer.<\/p>\n<p>Einstein learned physics, not by dutifully attending classes, but by obsessively playing with the ideas and equations on his own. Doing, not listening, was the starting point for how he learned physics.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. You really know something when you can prove it yourself<\/h3>\n<p>How do you know when you really understand something? Einstein\u2019s method was to try prove the proposition himself! This began at an early age, when Uncle Jakob, challenged him to prove Pythagoras&#8217;s Theorem:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cAfter much effort, I succeeded in &#8216;proving\u2019 this theorem on the basis of the similarity of triangles,\u201d Einstein recalled.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Isaacson explains that Einstein, \u201ctackled new theories by trying to prove them on his own.\u201d This approach to learning physics, which came naturally to Einstein, was driven by a strong curiosity both to know how things actually work, and a belief that, \u201cnature could be understood as a relatively simple mathematical structure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s important to note here is not only the method of proving propositions to learn physics, but also the drive to do so. It\u2019s clear that Einstein\u2019s curiosity wasn\u2019t merely to perform adequately, but to develop a deep understanding and intuition about physical concepts.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Intuition matters more than equations<\/h3>\n<p>Einstein was a better intuitive physicist than he was a mathematician. In fact, it was only when he struggled for years in developing general relativity, that he became more enamored with mathematical formalisms as a way of doing physics.<\/p>\n<p>An early influence which encouraged this intuitive approach to physics was a series of science books by Aaron Bernstein. These books presented imaginative pictures to understand physical phenomenon, such as, \u201can imaginary trip through space,\u201d to understand an electrical signal and even discussing the constancy of the speed of light, a matter which would later underpin Einstein\u2019s discovery of special relativity.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-medium wp-image-6762\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"203\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Johann_Heinrich_Pestalozzi-203x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6762\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Johann_Heinrich_Pestalozzi-203x300.jpg 203w, https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Johann_Heinrich_Pestalozzi.jpg 405w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px\" \/><figcaption>Swiss education reformer Pestalozzi emphasized learning through images, not by rote.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Einstein\u2019s later education in Aarau, Switzerland, was heavily influenced by the philosophy of Swiss educational reformer, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. Pestalozzi claimed, \u201cVisual understanding is the essential and only true means of teaching how to judge things correctly,\u201d adding, \u201cthe learning of numbers and language must definitely be subordinated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Were these early influences causal factors in Einstein\u2019s later preferred style of visualization to solve physics problems, or were they merely a welcome encouragement for a mind that was already predisposed to reasoning in this way? It\u2019s hard to tell. Whatever the case, I think it can be argued that developing intuitions of ideas, particularly visual intuitions, has an invaluable role in physics.<\/p>\n<p>How does one develop those intuitions? Einstein\u2019s own thoughts were that \u201cintuition is nothing but the outcome of earlier intellectual experience.\u201d Einstein\u2019s hard work building understanding through proofs and solving problems undoubtedly supported his ability to visualize as much as it benefited from it.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Thinking requires a quiet space and deep focus<\/h3>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-6752 size-medium\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"204\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Einstein-Office-204x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6752\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Einstein-Office-204x300.jpg 204w, https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Einstein-Office.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 204px) 100vw, 204px\" \/><figcaption>Einstein in his home office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Einstein was a master of <a href=\"http:\/\/calnewport.com\/books\/deep-work\/\">deep work<\/a>. He had an incredible ability to focus, his son reporting:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cEven the loudest baby-crying didn\u2019t seem to disturb Father,\u201d adding, \u201cHe could go on with his work completely impervious to noise.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Although overlooked for academic positions, it was his intellectually unstimulating job at the Bern patent office, which gave him time and privacy to unravel the mysteries of relativity. Einstein remarks:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI was able to do a full day\u2019s work in only two or three hours. The remaining part of the day, I would work out my own ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The obsessive focus Einstein applied to solving problems as a young boy, eventually served him well in cracking general relativity, culminating in an \u201cexhausting four-week frenzy.\u201d This intensity sometimes impacted his health, with him developing stomach problems in his strain to unravel the difficult mathematics of tensor field equations.<\/p>\n<p>Einstein\u2019s ability to focus, combined with a reverence for solitude, allowed him to do some of his best work in physics. Even as he aged, he still spent many hours on his boat, idly pushing the rudder seemingly lost in thought, interrupted by bursts of scribbling equations in his notebook.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Understand ideas through thought experiments<\/h3>\n<p>Einstein\u2019s most famous method for learning and discovering physics has to be the thought experiment.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-6760\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"180\" height=\"294\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Bernstein.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6760\"\/><figcaption>Books such as this were Einstein&#8217;s first introduction to the power of thought experiments<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>One of his most famous was imagining riding on a beam of light. What would happen to the light beam as he rode alongside it at the same speed? Well, it would have to freeze. This, to Einstein, seemed impossible by his faith in Maxwell\u2019s electromagnetic equations. But if the light doesn\u2019t freeze, what must happen?<\/p>\n<p>These thought experiments were built on his intuitive understanding of physics, which in turn was built on his experience with working through theories and problems. Their strength, however, was to draw attention to contradictions or confusions that may have been missed by a less intuitive physicist.<\/p>\n<p>His ability to engage in thought experiments even served him when he ended up being wrong about the underlying physics. It was exactly this type of thought experiment that he suggested to refute the current understanding of quantum physics in what is now known as the ERP paper, which showed that quantum mechanics could create changes in a system instantaneously, violating the speed of light. In this case, however, Einstein\u2019s intuition was wrong\u2014quantum mechanical systems do behave in such bizarre ways\u2014which is now known as quantum entanglement.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Overturn common sense\u2026 with more common sense<\/h3>\n<p>Special and general relativity stand out as being some of the most mind-bending scientific discoveries of all time. With special relativity, Einstein discovered that there is no absolute time\u2014that two people moving at different speeds can disagree about the passage of time\u2014with neither being right or wrong. With general relativity, Einstein went further, showing that gravity bends space and time.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-6741 size-medium\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"228\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Einstein2_1921_by_F_Schmutzer_-_restoration-228x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6741\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Einstein2_1921_by_F_Schmutzer_-_restoration-228x300.jpeg 228w, https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Einstein2_1921_by_F_Schmutzer_-_restoration-768x1008.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Einstein2_1921_by_F_Schmutzer_-_restoration-780x1024.jpeg 780w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 228px) 100vw, 228px\" \/><figcaption>Einstein at age 42, the year he won the Nobel prize<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>It would be reasonable to assume, therefore, that to overturn such commonsense principles would require some departure from common sense. However, Einstein\u2019s genius was to reconcile two commonsense principles\u2014relativity and the constancy of the speed of light\u2014by discarding a third (the idea of absolute measurements of space and time).<\/p>\n<p>Einstein\u2019s talent, it would seem, lay in his ability to defend what he thought were the most reasonable ideas, even if that meant discarding ones which had a longer tradition of being thought to be correct.<\/p>\n<p>This skill of overturning commonsense with other intuitions may have also eventually been behind his inability to accept quantum mechanics, a very successful theory of physics that he himself helped create. His intuitions about strict determinism, led him to champion an unsuccessful and quixotic quest to overturn the theory for much of his life.<\/p>\n<p>This practice also suggests a method for learning the many, counter-intuitive principles of math and physics\u2014start by building off of a different commonsense premise.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Insights come from friendly walks<\/h3>\n<p>While solitude and focus were essential components of how Einstein learned and did physics, it was often conversations with other people that provided his breakthroughs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-6747 size-full\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"318\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Einstein-with-Besso.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6747\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Einstein-with-Besso.jpg 318w, https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Einstein-with-Besso-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Einstein-with-Besso-298x300.jpg 298w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 318px) 100vw, 318px\" \/><figcaption>Albert Einstein with Michele Besso<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The most famous example of this was a walk with longtime friend Michele Besso. During his struggles with special relativity, he walked with his friend trying to explain his theory. Frustrated, he declared that, \u201che was going to give up,\u201d working on the theory. Suddenly, however, the correct insight came to him and the next day he told Besso that he had, \u201ccompletely solved the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Discussing ideas aloud, sharing them with others, can often put together insights that were previously unconnected. Einstein made great use of this technique of discussing tricky problems with friends and colleagues, even if they were merely a sounding board rather than an active participant in the discussion.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Be rebellious<\/h3>\n<p>Einstein was never much of a conformist. While his rebellious streak probably hurt his earlier academic career when he was struggling to find work in physics, it is also probably what enabled his greatest discoveries and accentuated his later celebrity.<\/p>\n<p>This rebelliousness likely helped him in learning physics as he pushed against the traditions and orthodoxy he didn\u2019t agree with. He hated the German educational system, finding in Isaacson\u2019s words, \u201cthe style of teaching\u2014rote drills, impatience with questioning\u2014to be repugnant.\u201d This rejection of the common educational method encouraged him to learn physics on his own through textbooks and practice.<\/p>\n<p>Later, the same rebelliousness would be essential in revolutionizing physics. His research on the quantization of light, for instance, had been first discovered by Max Planck. However, unlike the older Planck, Einstein saw the quantization as being a physical reality\u2014photons\u2014rather than a mathematical contrivance. He was less attached to the predominant theory of the time that light was a wave in the ether.<\/p>\n<p>Where many students would have been happy to conform to predominant educational and theoretical orthodoxies, Einstein wasn\u2019t satisfied unless something made sense to him personally.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. All knowledge starts with curiosity<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cCuriosity has its own reason for existing,\u201d Einstein explains. \u201cOne cannot help but be in awe when one contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-medium wp-image-6764\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Albert-Einstein-wry-portrait-300x250.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Albert-Einstein-wry-portrait-300x250.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Albert-Einstein-wry-portrait-768x639.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Albert-Einstein-wry-portrait-1024x852.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Albert-Einstein-wry-portrait.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption>Einstein, curious until the end<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>This curiosity is probably Einstein\u2019s most defining quality, after his intelligence. His love of physics started as a boy when he was given a compass and fascinated by the idea that the needle moved because of an unseen force.<\/p>\n<p>Curiosity was his motivation for learning physics. Einstein, who could be quite lazy and obstinate when a matter didn\u2019t interest him, nonetheless had an intense passion for understanding the things, \u201cthe ordinary adult never bothers his head about.\u201d Curiosity was also, in his own mind, the greatest reason for his accomplishments.<\/p>\n<p>Einstein believed that, \u201clove is a better teacher than a sense of duty.\u201d Love of learning and knowledge is, perhaps, a more important skill to cultivate than discipline.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Learning as Einstein Did<\/h2>\n<p>Einstein\u2019s approach towards learning cannot be entirely separated from who he was. Was his obsessive focus a result of his intelligence or his curiosity? Did his ability to easily visualize thought experiments come from encouragement in an unusual Swiss education system, extensive practice or natural ability? Was his revolution in physics a product of genius, rebelliousness, luck or maybe all three? I\u2019m not sure there are clear answers to any of those questions.<\/p>\n<p>What is clear, however, was Einstein\u2019s reverence for nature and the humbled attitude to which he approached investigating it. As he wrote:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cA spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe\u2014a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And, so even if Einstein\u2019s genius may lay outside the reach of most of us, his curiosity, humility and tenacity are still worth emulating.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I recently finished Walter Isaacson\u2019s biography of Albert Einstein. The biography covers not just Einstein\u2019s intellectual achievements, but also his anti-war activism, marital difficulties and celebrity. However, I wanted to share just the one part I found most interesting: how did Einstein learn? Wanting to understand how Einstein learned physics may, at first, seem as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3,682],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-6729","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-personal-development","7":"category-nc-learning","8":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How Einstein Learned Physics - Scott H Young<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After reading Walter Isaacson\u2019s biography of Albert Einstein I wanted to share the part I found most interesting. How did the genius Albert Einstein learn physics?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Einstein Learned Physics - Scott H Young\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"After reading Walter Isaacson\u2019s biography of Albert Einstein I wanted to share the part I found most interesting. How did the genius Albert Einstein learn physics?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Scott H Young\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AuthorScottYoung\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-03-16T16:33:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-10-16T06:15:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/young-portrait.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Scott Young\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@scotthyoung\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@scotthyoung\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Scott Young\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Scott Young\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2f58ab6c4a36422c78416e5b7a79604c\"},\"headline\":\"How Einstein Learned Physics\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-03-16T16:33:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-10-16T06:15:26+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/\"},\"wordCount\":2483,\"commentCount\":16,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/young-portrait.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"General\",\"Learning\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/\",\"name\":\"How Einstein Learned Physics - Scott H Young\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/young-portrait.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-03-16T16:33:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-10-16T06:15:26+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2f58ab6c4a36422c78416e5b7a79604c\"},\"description\":\"After reading Walter Isaacson\u2019s biography of Albert Einstein I wanted to share the part I found most interesting. How did the genius Albert Einstein learn physics?\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/young-portrait.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/young-portrait.jpg\",\"width\":652,\"height\":367},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How Einstein Learned Physics\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Scott H Young\",\"description\":\"Learn faster, achieve more\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2f58ab6c4a36422c78416e5b7a79604c\",\"name\":\"Scott Young\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a2da240fb070ba8346e3be8b89043b66c39bdcf933d9e7311dcb10383d0bc645?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a2da240fb070ba8346e3be8b89043b66c39bdcf933d9e7311dcb10383d0bc645?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a2da240fb070ba8346e3be8b89043b66c39bdcf933d9e7311dcb10383d0bc645?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Scott Young\"},\"description\":\"Hello, my name is Scott H. Young and I am obsessed with personal development! When I am not reading several books a month on the subject I am constantly trying to find new ways to improve and get more out of life.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/author\/scottadmin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How Einstein Learned Physics - Scott H Young","description":"After reading Walter Isaacson\u2019s biography of Albert Einstein I wanted to share the part I found most interesting. How did the genius Albert Einstein learn physics?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How Einstein Learned Physics - Scott H Young","og_description":"After reading Walter Isaacson\u2019s biography of Albert Einstein I wanted to share the part I found most interesting. How did the genius Albert Einstein learn physics?","og_url":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/","og_site_name":"Scott H Young","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AuthorScottYoung\/","article_published_time":"2017-03-16T16:33:47+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-10-16T06:15:26+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/young-portrait.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Scott Young","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@scotthyoung","twitter_site":"@scotthyoung","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Scott Young","Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/"},"author":{"name":"Scott Young","@id":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2f58ab6c4a36422c78416e5b7a79604c"},"headline":"How Einstein Learned Physics","datePublished":"2017-03-16T16:33:47+00:00","dateModified":"2020-10-16T06:15:26+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/"},"wordCount":2483,"commentCount":16,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/young-portrait.jpg","articleSection":["General","Learning"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/","url":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/","name":"How Einstein Learned Physics - Scott H Young","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/young-portrait.jpg","datePublished":"2017-03-16T16:33:47+00:00","dateModified":"2020-10-16T06:15:26+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2f58ab6c4a36422c78416e5b7a79604c"},"description":"After reading Walter Isaacson\u2019s biography of Albert Einstein I wanted to share the part I found most interesting. How did the genius Albert Einstein learn physics?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/young-portrait.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/young-portrait.jpg","width":652,"height":367},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/16\/how-einstein-learned-physics\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How Einstein Learned Physics"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/","name":"Scott H Young","description":"Learn faster, achieve more","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2f58ab6c4a36422c78416e5b7a79604c","name":"Scott Young","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a2da240fb070ba8346e3be8b89043b66c39bdcf933d9e7311dcb10383d0bc645?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a2da240fb070ba8346e3be8b89043b66c39bdcf933d9e7311dcb10383d0bc645?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a2da240fb070ba8346e3be8b89043b66c39bdcf933d9e7311dcb10383d0bc645?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Scott Young"},"description":"Hello, my name is Scott H. Young and I am obsessed with personal development! When I am not reading several books a month on the subject I am constantly trying to find new ways to improve and get more out of life.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/author\/scottadmin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6729"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6729\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12647,"href":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6729\/revisions\/12647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}