At a series of events at HKUST, four YP junior reporters had the chance to learn a lot about the legendary scientist, including what he liked to eat
The YP junior reporters feasted on eggs at a special dinner in honour of Einstein and learned how his discoveries have helped change the worldJanet Choi Ho-ching
HKUST hosted two lectures about Einstein. At one, Gary Shiu, a scholar from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US, explained how the scientist's discoveries, especially his famous theory of relativity, have changed our view of the world. Shiu told us how Einstein's insights had overturned previous scientific beliefs and helped lay the ground for today's world.
Einstein won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his theory that the energy in each quantum of light was equal to the frequency multiplied by a constant, later called Planck's constant. A photon above a threshold frequency has the required energy to eject a single electron, creating the observed effect. This discovery led to the quantum revolution in physics.
Einstein also looked at the problem of Brownian Motion and proved the existence of atoms. Everyone knew they existed but they could not prove it.
I also learned about the methods Einstein used to arrive at his discoveries. I was especially impressed with his view that we must always remain curious and open-minded enough to seek new answers.
Hollie Chung Ho-yee
In their "Quoting Einstein" lecture, Professor CT Chan and film director Alfred Cheung Kin-ting introduced us to many of the physicist's famous sayings. They explained how we could use his words of wisdom in our own life.
I learned that Einstein was not only a brilliant physicist but also a wise man and thinker. He died in 1955, but his views of the world remain as relevant today as they were in his day. He was probably ahead of his time and not easily accepted by others.
Nola Yip Ming-wong
"I have no particular talents. I am only passionately curious," said Albert Einstein. The great physicist remained humble despite his groundbreaking achievements. This information about Einstein really inspired me.
From the Einstein events, I learned that Einstein did not get carried away by the importance of his discoveries. He thought it was difficult or even impossible for humans to fully understand the universe because of the limitations of our senses and mental capabilities. Yet he stressed that we should always strive to learn more and more about the way the world works.
Einstein's new way of looking at the world of physics created a scientific revolution, which has greatly benefited humanity. Without his discoveries, many modern inventions would not have been possible.
Kate Ng
At the "Eat like Einstein" dinner, I also got to know about his habits and family background. Because Einstein was a Jew, he did not eat pork. He liked his beef steaks well cooked. When once he was offered steak done rare, he exclaimed at the sight of blood in the meat: "I am not a tiger, why do I have to eat this?"
He loved eggs and ate at least three of them every day. He didn't like to drink beer because he thought alcohol clouded his mind and made him sluggish. He did drink lots of coffee, however. Einstein's favourite desserts included cinnamon rolls and fresh strawberries with whipped cream.
All in all, he was not very particular about what he ate. He was definitely not a gourmet.
Compiled by Joyee Chan