Time to celebrate the birthday of another scientific giant. Not that Albert's around to party with us, but this seems an appropriate time to reflect on his achievements. Life as we know it wouldn't be the same without him.
I like to believe that somewhere out there is an Albert twin circling a black hole at the event horizon who will return to Earth at some point hardly aged.
A large compilation of Einstein quotes can be found here: Collected Quotes from Albert Einstein From which I will include two favorites: "A human being is a part of a whole, called by us _universe_, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." (cf. Buddhism) "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed." (suggesting that few people have ever been more "alive" than the good Doctor)
