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Dr. Arthur Fine Tells The Real Story Behind Albert Einstein
By: Tom Hodson
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Dr. Arthur Fine, emeritus professor of philosophy at the University of Washington, kicks off this season’s Frontiers in Science Lecture Series at Ohio University. His topic is “What Was Einstein Thinking?”
He is an expert on Albert Einstein and Einstein’s evolution from being considered a genius by his colleagues to being considered a “heretic” by other physicists for some of his work later in his life.
Fine spoke Monday with WOUB’s Tom Hodson for Conversations from Studio B and talked about his research into the life, the theories, and the conflicts in Einstein’s life.
He outlines Einstein’s development from the originator of the “theory of relativity” to his more controversial work trying to prove aspects of “quantum theory” of sub-particles. Einstein received the Nobel Prize for his early work on quantum theory.
Some of Einstein’s later theories and questions were highly controversial in the 1940’s and 1950’s when they were originated. He was criticized by some of his colleagues as being “an old fool.” But, some 50 years later, scientists are now proving that Einstein was accurate in many of his later assumptions and his critics were wrong. In many ways, Einstein is being posthumously vindicated.
Dr. Fine also reveals the personal side of Einstein – being considered an intellectual loner and not a person who liked to work with collaborators or graduate students. However at the same time, Einstein was considered “very social,” according to Fine – especially with women. He had several living in his house simultaneously.
The Shaky Game Einstein Realism and Quantum Theory is a book written by Dr. Fine based upon his research of personal correspondence, notes and informal writings of Einstein plus interviews with surviving members of Einstein’s family.