Thursday, July 18, 2013
title:{Secret of Albert Einstein's Success}
Today, I had the second lesson of my Physics module for this semester. This semester, we are learning about relativity.
Today is the day that I learnt about Albert Einstein's secret for success. A little background about Albert Einstein (I don't know if you knew about it, so I just write it down, just in case you didn't know). Albert Einstein disposed what man knew of relativity. Man thought that the time for all inertial reference frame was the same. ie. the time for everyone regardless of whether you are moving in a constant speed, or whether you are at rest is the same.
However, after a series of experiment, Albert Einstein found out out that there was something wrong with this equation. Instead, he proposed that time is different for everyone with different inertial reference frame. ie. If you are moving, your time will pass at a different rate as compared to someone who is stationary. He modernized and created this special relativity theory and thus, revolutionizing what Man knew of space and time.
When I was learning about it, I was like, "this thing is so mind-blowing. this entire concept is really beyond me." I gave up halfway listening to Mr Lim and instead, talked to Claire, as I sat next to her during Physics. I made a passing comment that "Who would have thought of such a theory as time is different from different moving object? Albert Einstein is such a genius" She began telling me stories of old thinkers. She told me about this special case of roman numbers. Roman numbers are "I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X" She asked me, "What is missing?" Initially, I couldn't figure out. However, after she prompted, I figured out that there was no "0" in the situation. Then, she told me how the people in the past found it so hard to understand the concept of 0. They found it hard to understand that "nothing" can be a number, and this number can be before 1. In the past, people spent so long, debating about the existence of 0.
Then, it struck my mind that 0 was something which I learnt in primary school! I mused at this fact that when I was in primary school, my intelligence was higher than the people in the past, as I was able to grasp the concept of 0 immediately. However, I knew that this was obviously wrong. I wasn't smarter. After deep thoughts and analysis, I finally found out the reason why. The fact that I managed to understand is solely because of I was a child. It may sound very bemusing initially, but it isn't.
Albert Einstein came out with this quote, "Minds are like parachutes; they work best when open." When I was young, my mind was open and therefore, I was able to comprehend the concept of zero. In the past, people could not comprehend the entire concept because they were sticking to the old notion of that there had to be something in everything. There was no such thing such as nothing.
I was being like the people of the past. I was holding strongly onto the notion that time passes by the same for everyone. I was not challenging what I knew. Mathematics and Science are quite beautiful, because they are never as straight forward as language. No one can ever dispute content for English. However, for Mathematics and Science, we are constantly discovering new things that redefine what we knew.
Afterwards, with my new mindset, I managed to follow and learnt something during the rest of the lecture.
Through the experience, it is sad to realize how I lost my child-likeness, how I was receptive to new things and how much I had changed from a child.
Matthew 18:3 "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." See how much Jesus values child-likeness.
Dear God,
thanks for opening my mind to see how unchild-like I was. I prayed that you will always allow me to have the ability and courage to challenge whatever I know, as well as I do. Help me find back my child-likeness. In your strength and providence, I trust.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
I will find my childlikeness again!
9:53 PM;