Egypto-mania 2000
OPINIONS

Volume 3, Issue 1
January 2000

In the previous issue of The Ambassadors, the story of Albert Einstein included in the Megastars section received much attention. Since that time, Einstein has received coverage in international media, culminating with his recognition by TIME magazine as "Person of the Century." Stephen Hawking, the renowned professor of physics at Cambridge University, wrote in TIME that the reasons for scientific breakthroughs are not social or economic, but technological. Instead, they stem from advances in basic science. "Clearly, no scientist better represents those advances than Albert Einstein," adds Hawking. Runners up for the honor were former U.S president Franklin Roosevelt and human rights icon Mahatma Gandhi. The Ambassadors proposes and suggests further research that goes beyond the mere analysis of Einstein's mental attributes. Hence,  "The "Complete Einstein" needs not to consider alone the exceptional brain but rather the human being as a whole entity. From Alexandria University, Prof. Magdy Nofal, the international oncologist and radiotherapist, mentioned that Einstein's equation (E=mc2) triggered the use of radioactive materials for the benefit of mankind in the field of cancer therapy. From Ain Shams University, Prof. Lilly Abdelmalek, the renowned pathologist, contends that further neuro-histological studies must be conducted to validate the scientific observations presented from studies on Einstein's brain. 

Furthermore, the distinguished diplomat and former U.S. Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, selected Albert Einstein for the TIME magazine's Person of the Century. In his nomination of Einstein, he wrote:

"Not every scientific breakthrough has proved unambiguously benign-unleashing the atom, for example-but all have expanded the human horizon into spheres prior generations could not even imagine. In the process, the growing ability to master the universe has opened a new window to the human should. Science and metaphysics, the secular and sacred have begun to merge. As science comes face to face with infinity- as it is forced to do by Einstein's theories- it deals with a phenomenon it can hardly barely describe, and has yet proved unable to explain. The Einsteinian revolution has produced a paradox: while vastly extending mankind's research, it has also exposed the essentially finite nature of the human scale. Living as we do on a speck in the universe, whose extend is beyond our ability to fathom, the unprecedented growth of human power has correspondingly created an imperative for humility." 

The Theory and the Man

Recently, Princeton University Press published two parts totaling 1118 pages documenting Einstein's life between 1914 to 1918. This is the eighth volume of a 25 volume collection!! Dr. Robert Schulmann, a Boston University historian and Director of the Einstein Papers Project said that Einstein's personal life was marked with a streak of callousness and aloofness.  He has the ability to detach himself from the people around him. 

A second book entitled "The search for Lieserl" by Michelle Zackheim. She wrote this book because of her curiosity about his illegitimate daughter Leiserl who was born severely retarded and possibly with Down syndrome and died after 21 months with scarlet fever. Zackheim explores the sentiments around Einstein's abandoned daughter. 

Another perspective was presented by Ms. Hala El-Banna, a PhD candidate in Psycholinguistics at Cairo University. She contests that any viable research on Einstein's brain by  neurohistological or molecular studies must take into account the psycholinguistic characteristics of his writings. There is no doubt that Einstein the human being and his relativity theory will continue to challenge generations to come.  

Einstein the puzzle!

By Hala El-Banna

To unfold his mystery is to try and unfold the life that molded him; his family, upbringing, atmosphere in which he was brought up into. Was it a warm and loving home? A cold one devoid of love, care and compassion? Or rather a blend and a mix of both that made him project that diversity of feelings. It could've been that he did associate with family not only 'love' but other negative emotions also that as a child would've been difficult for him to separate and most probably related those negative emotions and identified as positive signs accompanying 'love.'

His neglect of his schizophrenic son explains for the disturbed mind that was so rejecting to this kind of imperfection. One couldn't help but wonder. Would Einstein have neglected his son had he been perfectly healthy, had he developed signs of genius, rather than those of imperfection?

Positive and negative signs were imbedded from what it seems in the mind of the genius. Reality was as solid as contradictions being part of the truth. 

How did Einstein utilize his talent, his genius? For good or bad cause?
What is the difference between a normal mind and that of a scientist?
Is there any limitations to where the mind of a scientist would take him?
What are the measurements if any that a scientist is to abide by?
What is the difference between a scientist and a gambler to when it should all halt, or does it ever?
Where does a scientist sense of evaluation and perception fit during experiment?
Did Einstein's genius serve the universe?
Would there rather be a motto for scientists? Research for the good of man only? Research for prosperity? A call for morality to regulate genius? Destruction, ambiguity, vagueness should by all means be concurred.

A lot of unanswered questions that I do believe the answer to which would constitute an image closer to what should've been and what was. We need to differentiate between good genius and bad genius; intelligence
recruited for the well-being of man and that other for his destruction and distinction in time.
Man's achievement and success should not be build on other's ruins, but should spread and shine out of his total free will to light upon the dark ends of the universe.

View of the world

It should be viewed as a whole; dangers in one part of the universe is no doubt a threat to the whole universe. One individual in one part of the world is as important as a whole nation. So, if the individual is protected
and he on his part acts as a protector rather than ignored and ignores, may be this kind of genius could save the universe man's misused destructive genius.

ambassadors@sprint.ca

The Ambassadors Homepage