Last reviewed: 20 October 2026

Albert Einstein

1879–1955

Physicist whose theories of relativity changed how we understand space, time and gravity.

What they got right

He refused to accept "obvious" assumptions, such as time running the same for everyone, just because everyone shared them. He used careful thought experiments to follow an idea to its consequences, then let observation decide.

Skill it shows

Identifying assumptions

Practise this skill

Also: Evidence and sources

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence.

Reported by William Miller, "Death of a Genius", LIFE magazine, 2 May 1955Remarks recorded by a journalist, not written by Einstein Source

Worth knowing

Einstein is the most misquoted scientist there is. Many famous lines, such as "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results", have no evidence he ever said them. Check before you share an Einstein quote.

Try it yourself

Pick something "everyone knows" in your own field or daily life. Write down the assumption underneath it, then ask what would follow if it were false.

More about Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was a physicist who also wrote and spoke about how theories meet the world. The 1921 lecture 'Geometry and Experience' contains a sentence he actually published: as far as mathematics refers to reality it is not certain, and as far as it is certain it does not refer to reality. That is a philosophy of applied science, not a sneer at mathematics, which he loved. He is the most misquoted modern figure in this library. The definition of insanity, the claim that imagination will take you everywhere logic cannot, and the line about opportunity in the middle of difficulty are not in his papers. A 1929 interview with George Sylvester Viereck does say imagination is more important than knowledge. That remark has its own caveats and is not the A-to-B poster. The fakes are kept here so the real lecture has something to be compared with. Comparison is the method. A beloved scientist is not a source. A page is a source.

Theory and world
A formal system can be certain. Application to reality spends the certainty.
Relativity
The physics is the work. The quotations are mostly not.
Public voice
He did speak about peace, Judaism, and method. Those speeches have dates. The posters do not.