An Interview with Albert Einstein on Science Careers

Although this is a result of a judicious selection of Einstein's quotes, it does make for an entertaining reading. This is what someone imagined an interview with Albert Einstein would sound like, based on a series of statements and quotations from him that have been collected and grouped together to form answers to various questions related to a career in science.

Some of the "answers" are rather profound, such as:

Q. Then, what are the results of a scientific career that makes it worthwhile and exciting?

A. It is not the result of scientific research that ennobles humans and enriches their nature, but the struggle to understand while performing creative and open-minded intellectual work. (386) It is my inner conviction that the development of science seeks in the main to satisfy the longing for pure knowledge. (370)

and

Q. And what would you look for in a teacher?

‎A. The most valuable thing a teacher can impart to children is not knowledge and understanding per se but a longing for knowledge and understanding, and an appreciation for intellectual values, whether they be artistic, scientific, or moral. It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. Most teachers waste their time by asking questions that are intended to discover what a pupil does not know, whereas the true art of questioning is to discover what the pupil does know or is capable of knowing. (99-101)

Of course, one of the caveats that should have been added to this interview is that, some of the statements and quotes may be outdated or might be different in light of how our society has progressed and how science/physics has progressed since Einstein was alive. I mean, I'm sure he would have a different take on QM if he sees all the EPR-type experiments that have been performed, etc.

Zz.