In Memoriam Einstein

by Roy Lisker

Literary Nonfiction. Memoir. Science. By a singular ruse, the author of this account obtained entrance to the most exclusive party in the scientific world of the 20th century: The Einstein Centennial Symposium at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, on March 14-18, 1979. Admission was denied to all but a hand-picked group of celebrities: Nobel Prize winners, surviving members of Einstein's family, renowned Einstein scholars and historians, and journalists. Unbeknownst to the organizers of the event, Mr. Lisker turned out to be the only journalist present with the scientific competence to cover the entirety of this unique event. The result is a gripping and fascinating story that is both informed and humane, scientifically credible and politically aware.

98 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite quote from this book: "Providentially for some, cosmology is a subject in which almost all relevant information is either inaccessible or unknowable." If you're interested in amateur physics, this book, which follows a then-young math dropout turned reporter's bluffed foray into a centennial celebration of Einstein's birth, is right up your alley. Lots of tidbits about the bureaucracy of scientific academics. The saddest part of this book: a waitress whose niece suffers from a disease similar to Stephen Hawking's has a chance to talk with the great man, who is in attendance at the conference, but cowers out after Lisker sets up a meeting. The caste system, Lisker notes, is overwhelming.