Einstein's Mistakes

Hans Ohanian

Recommended By

Book Reviews

Book Synopsis

"Einstein's Mistakes," written by Hans Ohanian, delves into the remarkable scientific career of Albert Einstein, focusing on the lesser-known errors made by the scientific genius. Through meticulous research and analysis, Ohanian explores the implications of Einstein's mistakes and the impact they had on his groundbreaking theories.

The book begins by examining Einstein's early work on Brownian motion. Ohanian exposes the errors in Einstein's calculations and demonstrates how his incorrect assumptions led to erroneous predictions. Despite this, these mistakes ultimately pushed Einstein forward and helped refine his understanding of the physics underlying Brownian motion.

Ohanian then moves on to discuss Einstein's misstep in formulating the cosmological constant and its role in his theory of general relativity. By elucidating the consequences of this error and how it created unnecessary complications in his equations, the author sheds light on Einstein's growth as a scientist and his willingness to reconsider his assumptions.

In the subsequent chapters, Ohanian delves into Einstein's rejection of quantum mechanics and his efforts to disprove the theory. He elucidates the reasoning behind Einstein's discomfort with the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics and how his disagreement with it ultimately hindered his own advancement in the field.

Additionally, Ohanian explores Einstein's skepticism toward the existence of black holes, despite his contributions to the theory of general relativity. Through an analysis of Einstein's thought process and arguments against the concept, the author illuminates Einstein's struggle to accept the implications of his own scientific breakthroughs.

Throughout "Einstein's Mistakes," Ohanian presents a balanced narrative, offering a nuanced understanding of Einstein's intellectual journey. The book serves as a testament to the notion that even the greatest scientific minds are not infallible and points to the importance of embracing and learning from our mistakes.

Concise and thought-provoking, "Einstein's Mistakes" sheds light on the human side of scientific progress while paying homage to the genius and perseverance of Albert Einstein.

Explore More Books

See All
Lake Success
Valuation
A Sound of Thunder and Other Stories
The Selfish Gene
Going Infinite
The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide
The Diversity Myth
The Upside of Stress
The Story of Civilization: Our Oriental Heritage
Joy on Demand
The Invisible Gorilla
The Inimitable Jeeves
Foundation and Empire
The Fry Chronicles
Win Bigly
Confessions of a Pricing Man
Statistical Models
Graphs, Maps, Trees
The Power Law
Nexus
Age Of Ambition
David Bowie
Man, Economy, and State
Lessons
Rick and Morty Book Four
Trump and Churchill
Big World, Small Planet
The Things They Carried
The Araboolies of Liberty Street
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Bold Return to Giving a Damn
Radical Acceptance
Principles
Coyote America
Good Profit
I Contain Multitudes
Posterity: Letters of Great Americans to Their Children
Alpha Girls
Lincoln at Gettysburg
Men, Machines, and Modern Times
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big
1000 Ways to Make $1,000
A Matter of Degrees
The Passage of Power
Cry, The Beloved Country
Swallows and Amazons
The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive
The Creative Act
Unravelling the Double Helix
Lone Survivor
The Story of Design
The Complete Guide to Sales Force Incentive Compensation
Globalization and its Discontents
Three Blind Mice
These Truths
Aware
Getting to Yes
Die With Zero
Bet With the Best
Stealing Fire
Kingpin
A Short History of Myth
Walt Disney
Striking Thoughts
Inside Trump's White House
Walden
Prisoners of Geography
Wind, Sand and Stars
Infectious Generosity
How To Live
Edison
A Guide To Econometrics
A Cultural History of Physics
Joe Beef
Debt
March
Build
She Has Her Mother's Laugh
The Interpretation of Dreams
XKCD
The Fund
Nature Via Nurture
Happiness
Bull!
Eradication
Pippi Longstocking
Essentialism
My Stroke of Insight
Team of Teams
The Making of Europe
No Two Alike
The Essential Scratch and Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert
The Tartar Steppe
Skunk Works
Hail Mary
Value-added Measures in Education
American Nations
Moby Dick
Dictionary of Untranslatables
How An Economy Grows and Why It Crashes