Einstein's Dice and Schrödinger's Cat: How Two Great Minds Battled Quantum Randomness to Create a Unified Theory of Physics by Paul Halpern

Author:Paul Halpern
Format: epub
Publisher: Perseus Books, LLC
Published: 2015-02-02T16:00:00+00:00

Subtle but Not Malicious

After spending much of 1933 in Belgium under the protection of its royal family, Einstein needed to bid farewell to Europe—forever, as it turned out. Albert, Elsa, Helen Dukas, and Walther Mayer set sail on the Belgenland one final time, arriving in New York on October 17. No crowds or reporters greeted his arrival this time. To avoid potential sabotage by Nazi spies, after they disembarked from the ship Einstein and his entourage were whisked by small boat to New Jersey and taken directly to Princeton.

As designated buildings for the Institute for Advanced Study had yet to be built, Einstein and other members shared space with the mathematics department in Princeton University’s Fine Hall. One comfortable feature of the building was a seminar room with a large fireplace. Above the mantle was carved an expression of Einstein’s in its original German. Translated, it read, “The Lord is subtle but not malicious.” Einstein was expressing the hope that God would not mislead researchers to believe in a false theory of nature, even if finding the correct solution was challenging. Einstein still hoped to discover the ultimate theory that would unite all the forces.

One pressing issue Einstein faced was to find help with his calculations. Though he had gotten Mayer hired for precisely that purpose, his “calculator” decided to pursue his own mathematical research, much to Einstein’s disappointment. To make matters worse, because Mayer’s position was permanent, Flexner refused to provide Einstein with another assistant.

Because of Flexner’s paranoid need to micromanage Einstein’s schedule and keep him focused on his duties to IAS, the two of them soon became enmeshed in conflict. Einstein was mortified to discover that Flexner was censoring his mail and turning down invitations without consulting him. Flexner even turned down an invitation for Einstein to meet with the Roosevelts at the White House, although eventually Einstein got word and accepted. Einstein felt like a prisoner, trapped at IAS with seemingly no one to help him with his calculations.

Fortunately, IAS hosted a steady stream of brilliant young researchers, eager to make their mark and work with established scientists. Two such youthful minds, Russian-born physicist Boris Podolsky, who had recently completed his PhD at Caltech, and American physicist Nathan Rosen, who had studied at MIT, were ripe for productive theoretical work. Einstein seized the opportunity, and they began to collaborate in a critical examination of quantum physics.

Despite his dislike for Flexner, Einstein was well aware of the dangers of returning to Europe. He realized that IAS, with its quiet location and freedom from teaching, offered him the best opportunity to pursue a unified field theory, tie up the loose ends of general relativity, and engage in other research close to his heart. So he decided to remain indefinitely.

One nice feature about Princeton was its relative proximity to beach locales where Einstein could go sailing. He bought a boat, which he named the Tinef (colloquial German and Yiddish for “junk”), and spent most summers in various communities on Long Island Sound and Saranac Lake in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York.

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