How Einstein Learned Physics

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How Einstein Learned Physics

Einstein was a student long before he became a celebrity. There is a lot
to glean from his education and unique approach to learning.
Scott Young |
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Wanting to understand how Einstein learned physics may, at first,

seem as pointless as trying to fly by watching birds and flapping
your arms really hard. How do you emulate someone who is
synonymous with genius?
However, I think the investigation can still bear fruits, even if you
or I might not have the intellectual gi�ts to revolutionize physics.
Whatever Einstein did to learn, he clearly did something right, so
there’s merit in trying to figure out what that was.
How Smart Was Einstein? (Did He Really Fail

Elementary Mathematics?)
One of the most common stories about Einstein is that he failed
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mastered differential and integral calculus.”
While the story about Einstein being an early dullard is certainly

false, it’s not the case that he was universally regarded as a genius,
either.
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Einstein’s grades (highest grade = 6).
In college, Einstein o�ten struggled in math, getting 5s and 6s (out

of a possible 6) in physics, but getting only 4s in most of his math
courses (barely a passing grade). His mathematics professor, and
future collaborator, Hermann Minkowski called him a “lazy dog”
and physics professor, Jean Pernet, even flunked Einstein with a
score of 1 in an experimental physics course.
At the end of college, Einstein had the dubious distinction of

graduating as the second-to-worst student in the class.
The difficulty Einstein had was undoubtedly due in part to his non-
conformist streak and rebellious attitude, which didn’t sit well in
an academic environment. This would follow him in his future
academic career, when he was struggling to find teaching jobs at
universities, even a�ter he had already done the work which would
later win him the Nobel prize.
Einstein’s discoveries in physics were truly revolutionary, which
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Throughout the biography, I took notes whenever his methods of

learning and discovery were mentioned. Then, I tried to synthesize
these observations into several methods or behaviors that
appeared to have enabled both Einstein’s revolutionary discoveries
and his deep understanding of the subject matter.
1. Learning comes from solving hard problems, not attending

classes.
One thing that becomes apparent when looking at Einstein’s early

schooling was both his distaste for rote memorization and
attending classes. The physics professor that flunked him, did so,
in no small part, because Einstein o�ten skipped class. As he claims,
“I played hooky a lot and studied the masters of theoretical physics
with a holy zeal at home.”
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Einstein as a boy.
This habit of skipping classes to focus on solving hard problems in

his spare time was one cultivated by his uncle, Jakob Einstein, who
first introduced him to algebra. By the time he was 12, Einstein
already had a, “predilection for solving complicated problems in
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Isaacson explains that Einstein, “tackled new theories by trying to

prove them on his own.” This approach to learning physics, which
came naturally to Einstein, was driven by a strong curiosity both to
know how things actually work, and a belief that, “nature could be
understood as a relatively simple mathematical structure.”
What’s important to note here is not only the method of proving

propositions to learn physics, but also the drive to do so. It’s clear
that Einstein’s curiosity wasn’t merely to perform adequately, but
to develop a deep understanding and intuition about physical
concepts.
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preferred style of visualization to solve physics problems, or were

they merely a welcome encouragement for a mind that was already
predisposed to reasoning in this way? It’s hard to tell. Whatever the
case, I think it can be argued that developing intuitions of ideas,
particularly visual intuitions, has an invaluable role in physics.
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How was it? Save stories you love and never lose them.
Save Story
This post originally appeared on Scott Young and was published March 16, 2017.
This article is republished here with permission.
Join Scott’s newsletter and get a free ebook “7 Must-Know Strategies to Learn
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How Einstein Learned Physics https://getpocket.com/explore/item/how-einstein-learned-physics?utm...

POCKET WORTHY · Stories to fuel your mind.

How Einstein Learned Physics

Save Story Read when you’ve got time to spare.

Wanting to understand how Einstein learned physics may, at ﬁrst,

How Smart Was Einstein? (Did He Really Fail

mastered diﬀerential and integral calculus.”

While the story about Einstein being an early dullard is certainly

Einstein’s grades (highest grade = 6).

In college, Einstein o�ten struggled in math, getting 5s and 6s (out

At the end of college, Einstein had the dubious distinction of

Einstein’s discoveries in physics were truly revolutionary, which

Throughout the biography, I took notes whenever his methods of

1. Learning comes from solving hard problems, not attending

One thing that becomes apparent when looking at Einstein’s early

This habit of skipping classes to focus on solving hard problems in

Isaacson explains that Einstein, “tackled new theories by trying to

What’s important to note here is not only the method of proving

preferred style of visualization to solve physics problems, or were

More Stories from Pocket

Products Company Resources

Save to Pocket extensions Advertise

Get the app Discover More Topics

Coronavirus Business Career Education Entertainment Food

Gaming Health & Fitness Parenting Personal Finance Politics

Science Self Improvement Sports Technology Travel

Pocket is part of the Mozilla family of products.

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