A Truly Beautiful Mind

Summary

Albert Einstein was born on 14th March in 1879, in the German city of Ulm. For about two
and half years he could not speak and when he did learn to speak, he uttered every word
twice. His playmates called him “Brother Boring”, and his mother regarded him a freak
because of the abnormally large size of his head. At school, his head master regarded him as
stupid and good for nothing. But he proved them all wrong.
At the age of 6, on behest of his mother, he learned to play the violin. He became a gifted
violinist. At the age of 15, his family shifted to Munich. He did not feel at ease with the strict
regimentation of the school and left it for good. Later on, for higher education, he joined the
University at Zurich because the atmosphere there was more liberal and amenable to new
ideas and concepts. He showed more interest in Physics and Mathematics.
He met a fellow student, Mileva Marie at the University- equally intelligent and clever. Later
on they married and had 2 sons but unfortunately their marriage did not survive and were
divorced in 1919. After completing his education, Albert worked as a technical expert in the
patent oce at Bern. Here, he worked secretly of his idea on relativity. In 1915, he published
his paper on special theory of relativity, followed by the world famous equation E = mc2.
In 1915, he published his paper on General Theory of Relativity, which gave an absolutely
new definition to the concept of gravity. This theory made him a famous figure. In 1919,
during the solar eclipse, his theory came out to be accurate and revolutionized physics. In
1933, he immigrated to USA as Nazis had come to power in Germany. He did not want his
finding and research to be used for destruction. In 1938, when Germany discovered the principle of Nuclear Fission, he was the first person to write to the American President about
the dangers of the atomic bombs. In 1945, when America dropped the Atomic Bombs on
Nagasaki and Hiroshima, he was deeply hurt and wrote to the United Nations for the
formation of a world government to prevent recurrence of such destruction. He spent his
later days in politics advocating world peace and democracy. He died at the age of 76 in
1955.

Comprehension Questions 

Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow in one or two lines each.

1. At the age of two-and-a-half, Einstein still wasn’t talking. When he finally did learn to
speak, he uttered everything twice. Einstein did not know what to do with other children,
and his playmates called him “Brother Boring”.
(a) Why does the writer point out that Einstein wasn’t talking till the age of two-and-a-half?
The writer points out that Einstein wasn’t talking till the age of two-and-a-half to
clarify that outwardly his growth parameters were slower as compared to other
children of his age.

(b) How did Einstein speak when he finally started talking?
When Einstein finally started talking, he used to utter everything twice. This indicated
that his speech pattern was unlike what is usually found in young children.

(c) Why was Einstein called ‘Brother Boring’ by his playmates?
Einstein’s playmates called him ‘Brother Boring’ because he was shy, slow, introvert
and did not know the art of interacting with others.

(d) Which other word has been used for ‘speak’ in this extract?
The other word used for ‘speak’ is ‘utter’.

2. Einstein hated the school’s regimentation, and often clashed with his teachers. At the age
of 15, Einstein felt so stiffled there that he left the school for good.
(a) What did Einstein hate about his school in Munich?
Einstein hated the strict military like regimentation in his school in Munich. It
suppressed his, inquisitive mind.

(b) Why did Einstein clash with his teachers?
The strict regimentation in the school demanded complete surrender before the
teachers. But Einstein had a curious mind and he would not accept things
unquestioningly. Hence he often clashed with his teachers.

(c) When did Einstein leave his school in Munich and why?
Einstein left his school in Munich when he was fifteen years of age. He left because he
felt completely suffocated by the rigid atmosphere there.

(d) Where did Einstein go after leaving his school in Munich?
Einstein went to the German-speaking part of Switzerland, in a more liberal city than
Munich. He worked as a teaching assistant, gave private lessons and finally secured a
job in 1902 as a technical expert in the patent office in Bern.

3. While he was supposed to be assessing other people’s inventions, Einstein was actually
developing his own ideas in secret.
(a) What did Einstein do before securing a job?
Before securing a job, Einstein gave private lessons and worked as a teaching assistant.

(b) When did Einstein secure a job? What was the nature of this job?
Einstein secured a job in 1902. This job was in a patent office and Einstein worked here
as a technical assistant. In this job he was supposed to give appraisal and assessment
of the inventions of other people.

(c) Why did Einstein develop his ideas in secret?
Einstein had secured a job for monetary stability. Actually his sole passion was science.
So he developed his ideas in secret while his job required him to assess the inventions
of other people.

(d) Which word in the passage means the same as ‘evaluating’?
In the passage the word ‘assessing means the same as ‘evaluating’.

4. From this followed the world’s most famous formula which describes the relationship
between mass and energy.
(a) What does ‘this’ refer to?
This refers to Einstein’s Specific Theory of Relativity, according to which time and
distance are not absolute.

(b) Which formula was framed from Einstein’s theory of relativity?
The formula that was framed from Einstein’s theory of relativity is: E=mc2

(c) What is described by this formula?
The relationship between mass and energy is described by this formula. In this
formula, ‘E’ stands for energy, ‘m’ for mass and ‘c’ for speed of light in a vacuum.

(d) How did this formula establish Einstein as a scientific genius?
This formula, having been proved to be accurate, had become the most famous
formula of the world and therefore, Einstein’s reputation as a scientific genius was
established.

5. Unlike the letter to Roosevelt, this one made no impact. But over the next decade, Einstein
got ever more involved in politics – agitating for an end to the arms buildup and using his
popularity to campaign for peace and democracy.
(a) Who was Roosevelt?
Roosevelt was the president of America during the Second World War.

(b) Who had written a letter to Roosevelt and why?
Einstein had written a letter to President Roosevelt to warn him against the atom
bomb that Germany could make on the principle of nuclear fission.

(c) Which letter did not make any impact?
The letter written by Einstein to the United Nations after the atomic attack on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki did not make any impact. In this letter Einstein had proposed
the formation of a world government to counter destructive acts like the use of atom
bombs.

(d) Why did Einstein get more involved in politics?
Einstein got more involved in politics because he was a supporter of world peace and
harmony. Through politics, he launched an agitation to end arms buildup and
campaigned for peace and democracy.

Questions to be answered in about 30 – 40 words each. 

1. Who is a ‘freak’? Why did Einstein’s mother think him to be a ‘freak’?
A ‘freak’ is a word used disapprovingly for a person who is unusual in looks and
behaviour. Einstein’s mother thought him to be a ‘freak’ because his head seemed too
large to her. This made him look different from the other children of his age.

2. During his childhood, Einstein did not show any traces of becoming a genius one day.
How?
As a child, Einstein had a large head and did not start to speak till he was two-and-a-
half years old. Finally, when he did speak, he used to utter everything twice. He could
not interact freely with his playmates either, unlike other normal children. All this
showed the absence of any traces in him of becoming a genius one day.

3. Why did Einstein’s playmates call him ‘Brother Boring’? Or Why did Einstein play all alone
when he was a child?
Einstein did not know what to do with other children. His shy and introvert nature
made his company boring to his playmates. So, they teased him as ‘Brother Boring’
and did not include him in their games. Therefore, he played all alone when he was a
child.

4. What kind of toys attracted the attention of Einstein when he was a child? Why?
Einstein could not enjoy the company of playmates because of his introvert nature.
Instead as a child, he was attracted only by mechanical toys. It showed his scientific
temperament since mechanical toys work on some kind of scientific principles.

5. Why did Einstein try to look for wheels on the body of his new born sister?
Einstein was very much interested in mechanical toys and had scientific inclinations.
When his sister was born, he thought her to be a new toy; that is why he asked where
her wheels were.

6. What was the opinion of the school headmaster about Einstein?
The school headmaster considered Einstein to be a good-for-nothing boy. He was of
the opinion that Einstein would never succeed in any profession. Therefore, choice of
profession would not make any difference to the results of his efforts.

7. Which musical instrument did Einstein begin to learn? Why?
Einstein began to learn playing upon the violin at the young age of six. He kept this interest alive throughout his life and became a gifted amateur violinist. He began
learning the violin because his mother wanted him to.

8. How did Einstein perform in various subjects while studying in Munich?
Although as a young child Einstein was very slow, yet while studying in Munich, he
showed great progress in almost all the subjects and scored very good marks. He
showed a special interest in Physics and Mathematics.

9. Why did Einstein’s mother not want him to marry Mileva?
There were two reasons for Einstein’s mother not wanting him to marry Mileva. Firstly,
the girl was three years older than Einstein and secondly, she was much too intelligent
– ‘a book’ just like him, in his mother’s opinion.

10. Why did Einstein’s marriage with Mileva not survive long?
Although Einstein and Mileva had been in love, their marriage did not survive long
because Mileva gradually lost her intellectual vigour and aspirations. She became a
frustrated housewife. There were frequent fights between the couple which resulted in
their ultimate divorce in 1919.

11. “Einstein’s new personal chapter coincided with his rise to world fame”. What new
personal chapter in Einstein’s life is the author talking about here? How did it coincide with
his fame?
The new personal chapter in Einstein’s life was his marriage to his cousin Elsa in the
year 1919 immediately after his divorce from Mileva. This chapter coincided with his
rise to world fame when his paper on General Theory of Relativity, published in 1915,
was found to be accurate when there occurred an eclipse of the sun in 1919.

12. When and for what did Einstein gain international fame?
Einstein gained international fame when his paper on General Theory of Relativity was
found to be accurate in 1919. As per this theory, the calculations made by Einstein in
advance about the deflection of light in the solar gravitational field during the eclipse
were proven true. This theory was treated as ‘a scientific revolution’.

13. How was Einstein honoured for his achievements?
Honours came pouring in for Einstein after his theories proved him to be a scientist
with exceptional abilities. He was awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. Honours and invitations were conferred on him from all over the world. The
newspapers too applauded his genius.

14. How did Einstein react to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Einstein was deeply hurt, on seeing the destruction caused by bomb in Nagasaki and
Hiroshima. He worked for nuclear disarmament. He wanted peace. He proposed for a
world government to stop arm race.

15. Why did Einstein leave the school for good?
Albert Einstein was not comfortable in his school. There was an extreme sense of
discipline. He hated this type of discipline. He often argued with his teachers. He was
suffocating in this atmosphere. He was not growing. So he left the school.

Questions to be answered in about 100-150 words each.

1. Write a short note on Einstein’s education from school to university.
As a young boy, Einstein did not show any symptoms of an intellectual genius. His
headmaster had a very poor opinion about him and he even declared that Einstein
would fail in any career that he chose. However, as he grew up and joined a school in
Munich, he showed appreciable progress in studies scoring good marks in almost all
the subjects. But the strict discipline of the school was not in accordance with the free
spirit of Einstein. As a result, he frequently had issues with his teachers. Being a person
of liberal ideas, he felt so suffocated that he ultimately left that school for good. He
chose to complete his studies in a school in Switzerland where the environment was
more liberal as compared to Munich. Highly gifted in mathematics and having a great
interest in Physics, Einstein joined the university in Zurich after completing school and
from there he graduated in 1900.

2. What researches and theories proved that Einstein was a true genius? How was he
rewarded for his scientific achievements?
Einstein proved to be an intellectual and scientific genius after the completion of his
university education. Although he was jobless for some time and gave private tuitions,
he finally got a job of a technical expert in a patent office in Bern. Here, along with the
job, he kept developing secretly his own ideas and came out with the publication of his
famous research paper on ‘Special Theory of Relativity’, according to which time and
distance are not absolute. His theory about the relationship between mass and energy
was developed into the world famous formula E = mc2 , and this equation made him a
renowned scientist. Einstein earned international acclaim with the publication of his General Theory of Relativity which enabled him to calculate in advance the extent of
the deflection of light from fixed stars as it passed through the gravitational field of
the sun. The theory was declared as ‘a scientific revolution’ by the newspapers. For his
contribution to the development of science, Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for
Physics in 1921. After this, a number of honours were bestowed upon him and he was
invited by different countries in the world. Newspapers too hailed his scientific genius.
3. The author talks about two important letters that Einstein wrote -one to President
Franklin D. Roosevelt and the other to the United Nations. What prompted Einstein to
write these letters? What impact did they make?
At the insistence of a colleague, Einstein wrote a letter to the American President,
Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 warning him that the atomic bomb, if made and used by
Germany, could not only destroy the whole port on which it could be dropped, but
also the territory surrounding it. The impact of the letter was both deep and rapid as
the Americans secretly developed their own atomic bombs which were dropped on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in 1945. As expected, these bombs caused terrible
destruction. The large scale damage caused by these bombings on Japan perturbed
Einstein so much that this time he wrote a letter to the United Nations. In this letter he
proposed that there should be only one government in the world. This would put an
end to the enmity between nations and hence stop the massacres caused in the name
of wars. But this letter did not have any impact. Thus, unlike the letter to Roosevelt,
Einstein’s letter to the United Nations failed to evoke any response.

4. What values does the life of Einstein teach you?
Einstein was not only a great scientist but a man with love for peace. His life history
contains in itself the moral lesson that one must love one’s fellow beings and all the
discoveries of science should be oriented towards the aim of establishing peace.
Einstein had written a letter to the American President Roosevelt to warn him against
the destructive atom bomb that Germany would build on the principle of nuclear
fission. But Einstein was terribly shocked when America caused large scale destruction
in Japan by dropping an atom bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Einstein made
sincere efforts to spread the message of peace. He even wrote a letter to the United
Nations proposing that a world government should be established. He did not use his
popularity for selfish or personal gains. Instead, he worked for furthering the cause of
democracy and peace. He was never carried away by his achievements; on the contrary,
the honours bestowed on him encouraged him to work more for the welfare of
humanity. The life of Einstein thus inspires in us the values of sincere work, devotion to humanity, selfless service of mankind, and love of peace.

5. What important lessons can Educationists today learn from the biographical sketch of the
great scientist, Einstein?
‘A Truly Beautiful Mind forms a powerful comment on the education system in many
institutions. A brief life sketch of the great scientist reveals that Einstein was not a fast
learner at the early stage of schooling. One of his teachers had remarked that he would
not succeed in any course he took. But the reality proved to be otherwise. Einstein
turned out to be an intellectual genius. Educationists today can learn several important
lessons from his education career. First, teachers must encourage all the students all
the times. Instead of making negative remarks, they should discover the individual
potential of students and try to develop it to the maximum.
Secondly, students should be provided a liberal and conducive environment, so that
they feel encouraged to think originally and their ideas may find nourishment instead
of being smothered. Einstein felt much suppressed in his school in Munich because of
the stifling regimentation there. Such strictness made him leave the school for good
and move to Switzerland. His talent bloomed in the liberal environment of the
university in Zurich.
In addition, all stakeholders of the education system today should be free from all
kinds of bias and prejudices.

Answers to Text book questions

2. Who had these opinions about Einstein?
(i) He was boring. Einstein’s playmates
(ii) He was stupid and would never succeed in life. Einstein’s teacher
(iii) He was a freak. Einstein’s mother

3. Explain what the reasons for the following are.
(i) Einstein leaving the school in Munich for good.
Einstein hated the regimented environment of his school in Munich. He always
argued with his teachers. His mind was not made for the normal strict and disciplined
environment of a school. That is why he left school to enjoy independence.
(ii) Einstein wanting to study in Switzerland rather than in Munich.
Switzerland was more liberal than Munich. Einstein must have hoped to find a less
stifling environment in Switzerland compared to that in Munich. So he wanted to study in Switzerland.
(iii) Einstein seeing in Mileva an ally.
Einstein found Mileva to be different than his family members and the people at the
university with whom Einstein used to be constantly at odds. Unlike them she used
to appreciate arts and finer things of life. Her mindset matched with that of Einstein.
So, Einstein saw a friend in Mileva.
(iv) What do these tell you about Einstein?
These snippets from Einstein’s life gives an idea about the extraordinary thinking
power Einstein had since his childhood, because only a person with above normal
intelligence can think beyond the accepted systems of behaviour and actions.
Einstein always liked to take his own decisions which is evident from his insistence
on leaving Munich for a better future.

4. What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent office? Why?
It is not mentioned in the passage, but it can be safely assumed that most of the
applications for patent were of minor tweaking of older scientific theories and
practices. This is the prevalent practice even today. Really original and innovative
ideas rarely come on a routine basis. Moreover, as Einstein was himself a genius he
could see the follies in patent applications as most of them must be of pure
theoretical value with no resultant benefit for the mankind. That is why Einstein
called his desk, ‘the bureau of theoretical physics.

5. Why did Einstein write a letter to Franklin Roosevelt?
From the passage it is not clear if Einstein wanted the US to stop Nazis from making
the bomb or wanted to encourage the US to make a bomb to utilize its destruction
potential. The end result was the US made the nuclear bomb and used it against
Japan. This led to large scale destruction and loss of lives in the cities of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki.

6. How did Einstein react to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Einstein was deeply shaken by mishaps in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He
wrote letters to the United Nations urging it to make a world government to stop
nuclear race. He traveled all over the world appealing to leaders of nations for
ensuring world peace.

7. Why does the world remember Einstein as a ‘world citizen’?
Einstein’s discovery had impacted the whole world by initiating new discoveries
about the universe. His theory of relativity changed the perspective through which
scientists saw the universe earlier. Apart from this he worked towards world peace
and nuclear disarmament. Because of his scientific and geopolitical contribution
Einstein is called a ‘world citizen’.

PRACTICE SHEET

Q1 Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

(a) Many of them had fled from Fascism, just as Einstein had, and now they were afraid

the Nazis could build and use an atomic bomb.

i. Who does ‘they’ refer to in the above lines?

In the above lines ‘they’ refers to the American Physicists who had escaped from

dictatorship in their parent countries.

ii. When and where had they all fled to?

They all had fled to America when the Nazis came to power in Germany.

iii. Why did they have to flee their country?

They had to flee their country, because they feared suppression of their liberal

ideas by the dictatorial Nazis.

iv. What were they afraid of and why?

They were afraid of the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin, Germany. They

were afraid that the Nazis could build and use an atomic bomb. If it happened,

the Nazis would misuse it to cause massive destruction and gain supremacy over

the entire world.

(b) Einstein was deeply shaken by the extent of the destruction. This time he wrote a

public missive to the United Nations.

i. Which destruction is referred to here?

The destruction referred to here is the massive damage caused by the atom

bombs dropped in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 by

America.

ii. What was the impact of this destruction on Einstein?

The large scale devastation caused by the dropping of atom bombs in Japan by

America shook deeply the peace-loving Einstein.

iii. What is a ‘missive’?

A missive is a long, social, public letter, like the one written by Einstein to United

Nations.

iv. What did Einstein write in the missive to the United Nations?

Einstein proposed the formation of a world government, to counter the

destruction of acts like use of atom bombs.

Q2 Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each.

(a) Why did Einstein write a letter to Franklin Roosevelt?

Einstein discovered the principle of nuclear energy. He was a visionary scientist.

He knew that this power could be misused. He did not want to see the humanity

disaster through atom bomb explosion. He was afraid that the Nazis could build

and misuse an atomic bomb. So, He wrote to Franklin Roosevelt.

(b) Why is Einstein remembered as a ‘world citizen’?

Einstein is remembered as a world citizen because he campaigned for peace and

democracy. He was against the arms race. He was a great scientist as well as a

great visionary. His concerns were not constraint by state boundaries. He

proposed formation of the world government.

(c) Why did the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin disturb the American physicists?

The American physicists were disturbed by the discovery of nuclear fission in

Berlin because they were afraid that Germany would make an atom bomb and

use it for destructive purposes.

(d) Why did Einstein leave Germany and emigrate to America?

Einstein had always been a lover of freedom and liberal ideas. The Nazi

government, which came to power in 1933, was very suppressive and autocratic.

Therefore, Einstein left Germany and emigrated to America.

Q3 Answer the following questions in 100-150 words each.

(a) Einstein was a peculiar child. Justify.

As a child, Einstein’s mother thought him to be a ‘freak’ because his head seemed too large to her. He did not start to speak till he was two-and-a-half years old. Finally, when he did speak, he used to utter everything twice. He couldnot interact freely with his playmates. They called him ‘brother boring’. played by himself and was interested in mechanical toys. His thinking was different When his sister was born, he thought her to be a new toy; that is he asked where her wheels were. A headmaster remarked that Einstein would never make a success at anything.

(b) What lessons can we learn from the life of Albert Einstein?

Einstein was not only a great scientist but a man with love for peace. His life history contains in itself the moral lesson that one must love one’s fellow beings and all the discoveries of science should be oriented towards the aim of establishing peace. Einstein had written a letter to the American President

Roosevelt to warn him against the destructive atom bomb that Germany would build on the principle of nuclear fission. But Einstein was terribly shocked when America caused large scale destruction in Japan by dropping an atom bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Einstein made sincere efforts to spread the message of peace. He even wrote a letter to the United Nations proposing that a world

government should be established. He did not use his popularity for selfish or personal gains. Instead, he worked for furthering the cause of democracy and peace. He was never carried away by his achievements; on the contrary, the honours bestowed on him encouraged him to work more for the welfare of humanity. The life of Einstein thus inspires in us the values of sincere work, devotion to humanity, selfless service of mankind, and love of peace.