Monday, February 20, 2012
Professor Diana Kormos Buchwald presents "Worshipped Today, Scorned Tomorrow...: Albert Einstein and the Perils of Public Engagement"
Drawing largely upon Einstein's unpublished correspondence, the lecture will focus on the vagaries of Einstein's personal and public life after his rise to international fame. Following the 1919 British solar eclipse expedition, which propelled him into the wider European and international arena, Einstein became involved in numerous social and humanitarian initiatives, while simultaneously engaging in the popularization of relativity. How Einstein navigated intense scientific work and at times hostile political waters is reflected in many of his now forgotten writings.