Albert Einstein is considered one of the greatest physicists of all time and one of the most popular. Einstein is best known for his theory of relativity (about gravity, time and space). The theory of relativity changed our understanding of the universe. Einstein also played a key role in creating the modern theory of quantum mechanics, along with Planck and other quantum pioneers.
Richard Feynman was the most prolific science teacher of all time. His scientific contributions include Feynman diagram (a graphical representation of the interaction of particles and light), and quantum electrodynamics , etc.
- The Feynman diagram shown above is a concise way of summarizing mathematical calculations.
In this article, I will share the first time Richard Feynman met Albert Einstein. Feynman 's autobiography "You've got to be kidding, Mr. Feynman" describes this incident in detail.
During the year Feynman was at Princeton, he was still an undergraduate student in the physics department, studying under the physicist Professor John Archibald Wheeler . John Wheeler is the person who coined the terms black hole and wormhole. One day the two were discussing some issues in modern physics (the energy loss of electrons when they are excited and the self-action of electrons).
Feynman believed that if they could solve this problem using classical theory, they could also use modern quantum theory to solve this problem. Wheeler was very interested in Feynman's ideas, and he suggested that Feynman attend a physics seminar. This would be Feynman's first technical physics seminar at Princeton. Wheeler, along with Eugene Wigner, made arrangements for him. Since this was a symposium on quantum theoretical problems and their solutions, Wigner thought it would be interesting to have some top physicists attend.
At the beginning, he invited the famous astronomer Henry Norris Russell. Then he invited John von Neumann (a genius in mathematics and computing). When Wigner told Feynman that physicist Wolfgang Pauli would be attending his seminar, Feynman blushed. At that time, Feynman had only heard and read about the deeds of these great men. Pauli was already a world-famous physicist at that time. Feynman, (in his own words) was stunned when Wigner told him that Albert Einstein had also been invited to the seminar.
- Wolfgang Pauli writing equations on the blackboard, 1953.
Feynman was scared to death at first, but was relieved when Wheeler said he would answer all the questions at the seminar and told him not to worry too much. Before the seminar started, Feynman started writing physical equations on the blackboard. Einstein walked into the hall and said to him,
Hello, I want to come to your seminar. But first, where is the tea?
This was the first time Feynman met Einstein. When the seminar finally began, Feynman's hands were shaking because he was facing the greatest physicist of his time. But when he gradually got deeper into practical problems, he was fearless, he said,
When I started thinking about physics and concentrated on explanations, there was nothing else in my mind. I am completely immune to tension.
The seminar was followed by a Q&A session. Wolfgang Pauli expressed doubts about Feynman's theory, and when Einstein was asked what he thought about it, Einstein said,
The only difficulty I find is the corresponding theory of gravitational interaction. Since we don't have a lot of experimental evidence, I'm definitely not sure about the correct gravity theory for .
Later, Feynman thanked Pauli because his doubts about Feynman's theory proved to be meaningful. After the seminar, he and Pauli had an in-depth discussion in the school library.
Einstein was a giant.His head is in the clouds, but his feet are on the ground - Feynman
