Augsburg 2003 – scientific programme

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PV: Plenarvorträge

PV I

PV I: Plenary Talk

Wednesday, March 19, 2003, 10:00–11:00, 1002

Albert Einstein: Myths, Legends, and Reality. — •David C. Cassidy — Hofstra University, Hempstead (New York)

Popular myths and legends are created and propagated in order to satisfy the needs of the creators and of the public that accepts them. Myths and legends in science are sometimes created in order to enlist the authority of science for certain ideological or political ends. At the same time the public often adheres to popular myths and legends about science as a means to comprehend new and startling results that challenge the publics understanding of itself and its world. Einstein and relativity theory were subjected both to deliberate myth-making and to public adherence to popular myths. This paper will explore some of the official myths about Einstein and relativity theory created for political and ideological purposes. It will also explore the origins of some of the popular myths and legends about Einstein that assisted the public in adjusting to the new world of the 20th century.