Einstein, race, and the myth of the cultural icon

The most remarkable aspect of Einstein's 1946 address at Lincoln University is that it has vanished from Einstein's recorded history. Its disappearance into a historical black hole symbolizes what seems to happen in the creation of a cultural icon. It is but one of many political statements by Einstein to have met such a fate, though his civil rights activism is most glaringly missing. One explanation for this historical amnesia is that those who shape our official memories felt that Einstein's "controversial" friends like Paul Robeson and activities like co-chairing the anti-lynching crusade might tarnish Einstein as an icon. That icon, sanctified by Time magazine when it dubbed Einstein "Person of the Century" at the end of 1999, is a myth, albeit a marvelous one. Yet it is not so much the motive for the omission but the consequence of it that should concern us. Americans and the millions of Einstein fans around the world are left unaware that he was an outspoken, passionate, committed antiracist.     

Turning science to account: Chicago and the general science movement in secondary education, 1905-1920

In the second decade of the twentieth century a new subject appeared in American high schools, aimed at providing citizens with an understanding of the essential nature of scientific thinking. "General science," as it was called, was developed and promoted by an emerging class of professional educators who sought to offer a version of science that they believed would both excite public interest and prove useful in the everyday lives of the masses of students streaming into the rapidly expanding institution of secondary education. It was to be a course with real utility that would transcend the boundaries of the specialized, abstract disciplinary subjects like chemistry and physics-subjects with identities tied to the practices and standards of the colleges and universities, which had long exerted control over the content of secondary schooling. This essay recounts the origins of general science and, in particular, examines how the intellectual and material environment of the city of Chicago at the turn of the century influenced the course that was produced and widely adopted in school programs across the United States.     

International patent protection: 1960-2005

This note provides an update to the index of patent protection published in this journal in 1997. The original paper presented the index for 1960-1990 for 110 countries. The index has now been updated to 2005 and extended to 122 countries. The adoption of stronger patent laws and the composition of patent rights vary across countries by level of economic development.     

爱因斯坦、希尔伯特与广义相对论

广义相对论作为上世纪最伟大的理论工作以其突破性的概念,精妙的逻辑,完美的数学表达为人们所称道。围绕其建立过程又有着许多扑朔迷离、引人入胜的故事,这项工作的两位参与者——爱因斯坦和希尔伯特,都可称得上科学史上传奇式的伟大人物。本文在介绍广义相对论建立过程的基础上,重点分析了两位伟人之间既合作又竞争的关系,并对近年来出现的关于该理论优先权的争议作了扼要介绍,试图使读者对事件的来龙去脉有一个直观的总体把握。     

爱因斯坦、物理学和人生 杨振宁先生访谈录

2005年4月14日上午,诺贝尔物理奖获得者杨振宁博士在清华大学高等研究院的办公室里接受了本刊的专访.采访内容涉及杨先生的个人经历、诺贝尔奖、爱因斯坦的贡献与遗产、世界物理年、对物理学的基本看法、若干热点问题的评论和展望,以及对年轻人的期望等.在此基础上我们整理成文,标题和分段标题都是本刊加的.文中的内容以及可能存在的疏漏概由采访者负责.……