
The night I met Einstein - dfield
http://akshar.co.in/blog/archives/47
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stevenjames
Great story. Great writing.

I felt like I was in the room observing this encounter take place.

This was very nice to read, or rather, to experience :)

The joy of wonder!

Thanks for the post

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edw519
"Nonsense! said Einstein. It proves everything!"

This was the most important lesson I ever got from my mentor, who was an
industrial engineer. He claimed that if you can do it once, you can do it
again. Anyone. Anything.

That one belief has dramatically changed almost every project I've ever done.

I just like the way Einstein said it better.

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csomar
I want to highlight a point "start from the basics".

Most of our teachers (in tunisia) ruined studies by starting and giving
students hard exercices to do, which makes them fear and afraid from science.

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brandnewlow
My favorite part of this story is actually where the author admits that he
categorically loathes any music that doesn't have a catchy hook and someone
singing words he can follow.

A pet peeve of mine has always been how _everyone_ claims to like music. When
there are people who dislike ice cream, people who dislike movies, people who
dislike sports, people who dislike dancing...why is it that you never meet
anyone who will admit to disliking music? That always annoyed me as a musician
who's met many people who can't possibly actually enjoy music considering
their listening tastes. Yet, because of social pressure, these people will
never publicly admit to disliking music.

So it's refreshing to hear from someone who admits to feeling zero affection
for music. There are people who admit this about visual art. People who say
this about drama. But it's rare to meet someone who will admit this about
music,

~~~
antiform
Also consider that if you're a musician, people are less likely to say that
they dislike music to your face, out of politeness.

I don't think it's so much cultural pressure as it is unusual. It's like
meeting somebody who doesn't like art. It is so common and there are so many
kinds out there that categorically disliking it entirely is strange. Most
people probably do not want to be seen as strange.

It's also possible that in Western culture, not liking music is traditionally
associated with something sinister. For instance, in _Julius Caesar_ , Cassius
is described as follows

    
    
      "...He reads much,
      He is a great observer, and he looks
      Quite through the deeds of men. He loves no plays,
      As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music.
      Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort
      As if he mock'd himself, and scorn'd his spirit
      That could be mov'd to smile at anything.
      Such men as he be never at heart's ease
      While they behold a greater than themselves, 
      And therefore are they very dangerous."
    

which contrasts with the more sympathetic character, Brutus, and his love of
music.

~~~
michaelkeenan
There's a more explicitly anti-tone-deaf example in The Merchant of Venice:
"The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet
sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils; The motions of his spirit
are dull as night And his affections dark as Erebus: Let no such man be
trusted."

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10ren
I am touched by this story. Any chance of it being true? (not that it matters,
truth being beauty an' all).

~~~
Shooter
I definitely believe it could be true. I don't think the music story would be
out of character for Einstein.

One of my academic advisors was Professor Robert Borkenstein (he invented the
breathalyzer, among other things.) Before he got into academia, he had worked
as a police captain and forensics advisor to various organizations, including
the International Association of Chiefs of Police. I was visiting
Borkenstein's office once, long after he became a Professor Emeritus, and I
commented on some artwork he had on the wall. I was really just making small-
talk out of nervousness, and I hadn't really even looked at the drawings
beyond a quick glance. Borkenstein perked up and asked me to really examine
the drawings, and tell him what I thought about them. They were just sketches
and doodles, mostly...nothing elaborate. I was going to just say they were
'nice" out of courtesy, when I realized a few of them were signed...by Albert
Einstein.

It turned out that Borkenstein had worked as a guard for Einstein and some of
the other scientists involved in the US nuclear efforts when he was younger.
He wasn't supposed to interact with any of them, he was just there to help
insure their protection. One day, Bob was so curious about the mechanics of
something they were discussing that he forgot his place and asked a question.
Einstein apparently spent quite a bit of time explaining the confusing
concept, and became fond of Bob and his curiosity. He recognized that Bob had
a very inventive mind and apparently wanted to encourage it, so whenever Bob
worked a shift, Einstein would chat with him. Einstein had drawn most of the
sketches on the wall to explain various concepts, although some of them were
just absent-minded sketches. He let Bob keep them when the protection detail
ended.

The sketches meant a great deal to Bob, and I think he had kept them somewhere
in his office for his entire career. I also think the sketches (and personal
attention from Einstein) helped provide some of the impetus for Bob's
inventing career. Unfortunately, I don't recall all of the details Bob gave
when telling his story about the Einstein discussions, but I remember that he
was very reverential, awed that Einstein had taken the time to discuss
important things with a guard. I think Einstein was genuinely fascinated with
how other people view the world...and they say a new perspective is worth XXX
IQ points, right?

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jack7890
Cool story, but what Einstein does here--escorting a stranger out of a concert
for a private music listening training session--is downright strange and
socially odd, by most standards. Did he feel he had a license to do this
because he was one of the most famous people in the world? Or was he so
wrapped up in his own brilliance that he didn't even notice what was a bit
socially deviant?

~~~
swombat
What is the benefit of not being "a bit socially deviant"?

~~~
ovi256
Yours ? Not being regarded as "odd".

Society's ? Not having to deal with the friction created by eccentrics.

~~~
enneff
Heaven forbid society should have to deal with something different! Do you
actually believe this or are you just playing the advocate?

~~~
ovi256
I believe this, AND I was just playing the advocate. Note that belief and
approval are orthogonal. I think this is really happening, altough I do not
really approve it.

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utx00
feels made up.

~~~
shabda
That or the author knows time travel.He was born in 1986
<http://akshar.co.in/blog/about-2>

~~~
bluishgreen
The actual author is <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Weidman> and is 96
years old.

~~~
shabda
Ah, tells me how much I scan. I was unable to see Weidman reference even on
second reading, and had to search

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KevinMS
I call shenanigans on Dr Einstein.

“Sheep May Safely Graze" is as pop-ish as Bach can get and it would not have
been surprising if Bing Crosby put lyrics to it and sang it.

~~~
MaysonL
As an introduction of Bach's music to someone whose previous music
appreciation extended to Bing Crosby it seems perfectly appropriate.

Now if only our nation's science and math teachers could open their students'
eyes to the beauties of understanding the world.

------
adrianwaj
My grandmother met Einstein in Germany before the war. He was outside doing
some gardening and she was visiting a friend at the house.

~~~
digamber_kamat
How does it concern this topic?

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slavingia
agreed≥

