Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A Truly Beautiful Mind
A Truly Beautiful Mind
Ans: A ‘freak’ is a word used disapprovingly for a person who is unusual in looks and behaviour. Einstein’s mother
thought him to be a ‘freak’ because his head seemed too large to her. This made him look different from the other
children of his age.
Q2. During his childhood, Einstein did not show any traces of becoming a genius one day. How?
Ans: As a child, Einstein had a large head and did not start to speak till he was two-and-a-half years old. Finally,
when he did speak, he used to utter everything twice. He could not interact freely with his playmates either. All this
showed the absence of any traces in him of becoming a genius one day.
Q3. Why did Einstein’s playmates call him “Brother Boring”?
Or
Why did Einstein play all alone when he was a child?
Ans: Einstein did not know what to do with other children. His shy and introvert nature made his company boring
to his playmates. So, they teased him as “Brother Boring” and did not include him in their games. Therefore, he
played all alone when he was a child.
Q4. What kind of toys attracted the attention of Einstein when he was a child? Why?
Ans: Einstein could not enjoy the company of playmates because of his introvert nature. Instead as a child, he was
attracted only by mechanical toys. It showed his scientific temperament since mechanical toys work on some kind
of scientific principles.
Q5. Why did Einstein try to look for wheels on the body of his newly born sister?
Ans: Einstein was much too interested in mechanical toys and had scientific inclinations. When his sister was born,
he thought her to be a new toy; that is why he tried to search for wheels on her body.
Q6. What was the opinion of the school headmaster about Einstein?
Ans: The school headmaster considered Einstein to be a good-for-nothing boy. He was of the opinion that Einstein
would never succeed in any profession. Therefore, choice of profession would not make any difference in the
results of his efforts.
Q7. Which musical instrument did Einstein begin to learn? Why?
Ans: Einstein began to learn to play upon the violin at the young age of six. He kept this interest alive throughout
his life and became a gifted amateur violinist. He began learning the violin because his mother wanted him to.
Q8. How did Einstein perform in various subjects while studying in Munich?
Ans: Although as a young child Einstein was very slow, still while studying in Munich, he showed great progress
in almost all the subjects and scored very good marks. He showed a special interest in Physics and Mathematics.
Q9. Why did Einstein leave the school in Munich? (Textual)
Ans: Einstein left the school in Munich because of the stifling environment that suppressed his scientifically curious
mind. The excessively stern discipline and rigid rules in that school led to frequent clashes with his teachers. He
thus began to feel that such a place was inappropriate for a liberal person like him.
Q 10. Why did Einstein shift to Switzerland to continue his education? (Textual)
Ans: Einstein shifted to the German-speaking part of Switzerland to continue his education because he had left
his school in Munich midway. This new place was more liberal than Munich and Einstein’s curious and free
temperament got a favourable environment over here.
Q11. Why did Einstein see an ally in Mileva Maric? (Textual)
Ans: Einstein saw an ally in his Serbian fellow student Mileva Maric because, like him, she too was against
philistines – the people who have disregard for art and culture. As both shared similar tastes, Einstein developed
a liking for her and they both fell in love.
Q12. What did Einstein call his desk drawer at the patent office? Why? (Textual)
Ans: Einstein jokingly called his desk drawer at the patent office as “Bureau of theoretical physics”. He did so
because his office job required him to assess the inventions of other people while he secretly developed his own
ideas regarding his keen interest in Physics.
Q13. Why did Einstein’s mother not want him to marry Mileva?
Ans: There were two reasons for Einstein’s mother not wanting him to marry Mileva. Firstly, the girl was three
years older than Einstein and secondly, she was much too intelligent – ‘a book’ just like him, in his mother’s opinion.
Q14. Why did Einstein’s marriage with Mileva not survive long?
Ans: Although Einstein and Mileva had been in love, still their marriage did not survive long because Mileva
gradually lost her intellectual vigour and aspirations. She became a frustrated housewife. There were frequent
scuffles between the couple which resulted in their ultimate divorce in 1919.
Q15. What was the new personal chapter in Einstein’s life? How did it coincide with his fame?
Or
“Einstein’s new personal chapter coincided with his rise to world fame”. What new personal chapter in
Einstein’s life is the author talking about here?
Ans: The new personal chapter in Einstein’s life was his marriage to his cousin Elsa in the year 1919 immediately
after his divorce from Mileva. This chapter coincided with his rise to world fame when his paper on General Theory
of Relativity, published in 1915, was found to be accurate due to the proof that came through the eclipse of the sun
in 1919.
Q16. When and for what did Einstein gain international fame?
Ans: Einstein gained international fame when his paper on General Theory of Relativity was found to be accurate
in 1919. As per this theory, the calculations made by Einstein in advance about the deflection of light in the solar
gravitational field during the eclipse were proven true. This theory was treated as “a scientific revolution.”
Q17. How was Einstein honoured for his achievements?
Ans: Honours came pouring in for Einstein after his theories proved him to be a scientist with exceptional abilities.
He was awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. Honours and invitations were conferred on him
from all over the world. The newspapers too applauded his genius.