Short story (split from Was Einstein a Christian?)

[Trurl]

Here is a short story (fiction) I wrote for a creative writing course in 2010.

 

The instructor called it disappointing, but it is a short read and I think you will like it.
 

 

 

9

 

 

 

 

 

Simply Unified

Bobby Joe Snyder

ENG340 Creative Writing

10-20-10

Dennis Nilson

The sun is rising in the east. It is a busy morning rush which is why he chose to ride now. The people are like atoms circling through the rectangular aisle, bouncing off one another, occasionally releasing a charge off the train. They go to power some unknown meaning.

When you are working your hardest as a physicist no one even notices. Your best work comes at the least expected time. It appears if you were day dreaming, while you’re working on unification. So you try and explain your thoughts and it leads nowhere. There aren’t many other physicists on the morning commute.

It is hard to think of science with the political situation in Germany. This train is going across the land so beautiful it doesn’t represent the minds of its people. But one could spend all day pondering it and not get anywhere. If only ethics where as simple as physics.

He ponders his groundbreaking  ideas. “The speed of light is a constant. My example of the train showed that time was different for different observers. It was a ride late at night. If a conductor shines a lantern towards the other end of a train the observer on the train will see the light in a faster time than an observer on the ground, who sees light travel the length of the train car plus its distanced moved (Time Magazine, Dec. 31, 1999, pg. 80).”

He ponders further, “I wish to find a unified theory of everything, but the only way to do it is to find a way to travel the speed of light. What if the speed of light was constant, but you could travel faster than light. Would you pass through time? Maybe if we looked at the speed of light as a state of matter. If one travels at the speed of light what would they see? Would they feel their body gaining infinity larger mass, or would they bounce of matter like we know light does? Would they be affected by other light?”

“Light and time are just as much a mystery. The more we try and explain them the more dead ends of more complex questions we reach. I thought about how if you excited an object to behave as light, so that it is light. It would experience different laws of physics. The object would be traveling light speed, but would it also experience phenomena moving relative to it at light speed. So the speed of light to light would be the speed of the original light squared. This would continue to do so until infinity with new properties of physics being discovered at each increment of the previous light squared.

But my theory is too dangerous to release to the World. I see the beauty of the hills and castles. This is a beautiful land,but do those who rule it deserve such revelation of a new World, when they are quite content to destroy this one. But I say nothing. After all I am only one man.”

“Mind if I sit here,” a young gentleman asks? “Hey aren’t you Albert Einstein?”

“The seat is empty, that is, at this exact time.” 

“So what do you know about time Al?”

“Enough to know few in the World are using it wisely.”

“I agree. Makes me wonder how wise people would treat their time if they could travel the speed of light.”

“What did you just say?”

“Oh, I’m just a fan of yours. It is just that light and time are such mysteries.”

“My friend, who are you, and what are you doing with my theories.”

“I am just a time traveler. With an important message for you Al. This is a time period in which those who choose to lead want to destroy what they think is imperfect.  What God designed, man tries to perfect, but what is perfection, and who is the judge, but the one who judges us all.

Those that see the World’s beauty and amazement are content to be pacifist, because they feel one person can’t change the World, but you already knew that didn’t you Al?”

“You expect me to believe you’re a time traveler?”

“History tells me. I only know what history tells me, Al.

Take this ring. You’re a bright man wear it until you can prove I’m not a time traveler.”

The traveler hands Einstein a ring with a wide emblem. Einstein thinks and reluctantly puts it on.

“It is all relative after all. Isn’t it?”  The traveler remarks then continues.

It’s all relative to kill Hitler even though it might be easier to kill you, Einstein. If I were to kill you, there might not be a nuclear bomb, and all that dangerous knowledge would be lost. Of course, it would also be a loss to the world, too. Without the technology in the right hands, Hitler would still win. Kill Hitlerwithout the right people having the technology and his Army still could win. The results will change with either chess piece. Evil will still exist and technology will still progress.

I want to save the pieces I have and put the most evil king in check to keep the whole world in check. This is game theory at its finest, so it is with time. This is War.

Who else to better decide what to do with the theories than the man who invented them?” 

 

Ten days later on a busy morning commute. Einstein rubs his newly gifted ring.

As he digs deeper into hole of thought, “I know that if someone had the right amount of power, say very easily from the atoms of an atomic explosion, they could arrange the force and atoms into a pattern, a pattern that would excite matter to the speed of light.

No one, especially the traveler, if he is a time traveler, should know this. Why must I know this? In my quest to explain the World I have learned its deepest secret. A secret that is the reason secrets are kept.”

Einstein stands up slowly, like his legs are supporting a head that just had weight added to it. “I have a plan. I have a plan.” He moves to the first passenger car of the train. He sees a dark haired beauty sitting alone in a seat reading a Bible. “This is my contact.”

He sits beside here and she gives him a girlish smile. “You know American Spies make the sexiest women.”

She smiles and asks, “What have you got for me?”

“I have my theories on atomic weapons and how to accelerate to the speed of light. It is all in this ordinary lecture document that has a piece of microfilm in a stamp hidden on the document. Something I stole from the patent office.”

“What is your payment,” she asks?

“I only ask residence in your country for me in my wife. Just take this document to your President.”

Al leaves and heads toward the back to the passenger car 2 cars behind the one he was originally in.

He spots a red headed women reading the Bible. “What book are you reading?”

She gives a full smile and says Psalms. “Do you believe in God Al?”

“Of course he created all things I wish to learn. But I’m glad you didn’t say the Book of Revelation, with the state of the World, that is.

You know Russian Spies make the sexiest women. Here is the microfilm hidden on the document. I only ask in return for a warm welcome of me and my wife to enter your country. Be sure the president gets this.”

He heads back to his original seat. It appears that a man is now sitting in his seat. He makes eye contact, but the man’s face does not hide his hostile intentions. “I hope he doesn’t know my actions,” Einstein thinks. He breaks eye contact but cannot act innocent under these conditions. He moves to the front of the car hoping to hide in a different car with more people or at least let the conductor know someone is after him.

He walks quickly down the aisle and spots another man at the other end of the car pursuing him. He gets to the other car and stops the conductor. He tells him of the strange men, but before he can get out another word the conductor forces his arm behind his back. He feels the pain as the conductor puts him into a squatting position. His limbs are practically immobilized.

He realizes there is no escape. These men want his information, he just knows it. “Think.” “Think you overconfident fool. You thought you could solve this situation by thinking. It is time for action. There is a time when a man must defend himself by brute force and not his intellect. This is that time!”

Einstein bends forward, getting his free arm to the floor. He is now off his back and throws a punch with his free hand. The punch itself is weak, but he is aiming for an eye. The man lets out a wail of pain.

But mind or matter, brute force will not save the day. Two men enter the car and club Einstein over the head. Thud, then blackness of space with the slowing down of time, Einstein is defeated.

 

He wakes up with his head throbbing. He has to wake up and get a sense of direction, but he fails because he is in a total black cell. He yells at the top of his lungs. Nothing, no answer just an echo echoing of the slab of rock for walls. He digs into the rock with his finger nails.

To what feels like ten days later, he hears a voice. “Are you ready to work now Dr. Einstein? There is nothing like confinement to make a stubborn scientist type talk.”

“Get me out of here! What do you want?” His voice is groggy and he is disorientated.

Two soldiers pull him out with a rough tug. He is talking but not making much sense.

“Unification, unification is the answer to nothing, if not everything. Let the world be unified. Unification occurred on the train. That must be why they’re after me.”

“Yes Dr. Einstein,” the higher ranking officer allows him to collect his thoughts. “We are very interested in what you know about unification, especially as it applies to light.

To be blunt, we have the technology you always dreamed of, right here, and if you agree you could lead a team that would bring unification to life.

Of course, if you don’t agree we will be happy to change your mind in ways that can be very persuasive.”

The officer commands the men to take Dr. Einstein to the lab after he stops by the bar. Einstein follows still trying to catch his thoughts. He sees a dimly lighted lounge area with several beautiful women in robes. Einstein is very much a lady’s man, but he doesn’t mix pleasure with the fate of the world. That would just prove corruption and corruption has no place when the entire World is in jeopardy.

“I’m a scientist not a playboy,” he says. Let’s go straight to the lab.

 

So that is how it went for the first 30 days. Einstein was introduced to a nuclear device that was being tested by the Nazis. He wondered how they had gotten the device and advanced in technology so rapidly. How did they know about his theories of light other than those he published?

He thinks to himself “I am an intelligent man, but never claimed to be better than anyone else, even with my fame. These soldiers think they have the right to meet any of their desires, including killing people and controlling the World. My options are limited. I’m a prisoner and I’m in a dilemma.

Everything we do in the World begins with a thought. Thoughts are how we interact. But now I need God’s help, for I cannot think my way out of this situation. It is beyond me. I feel powerless after all I am only one man.”

Einstein prays, “God I do not claim to be a religious man, but I do believe in you. You created all the things I wish to understand and help man reach new heights. Now I face a situation where my theories won’t explain the answer. God help me, simply help me, and more importantly help the world.”

 

It is the day of the test, which will use an atomic device in a protected chamber. The goal is not for a bomb but the controlled release of the atom’s energy.

Einstein is nervous. He has no option but to comply and perform the test.

There is a countdown. Five minutes.

“Do you realize there is no way to stop this thing,” Einstein says to the head officer. 

“Just as there is no way to stop Germany,” the officer replies.

“Do you realize what goes through a man’s mind when he is out of options? Of course you don’t you’re a mass murder, but what happens is he chooses the option that is all or none. He chooses the worst thing in hopes that he can avoid it.”

“What do you mean Dr. Einstein?”

“See, I’m a thinking man. I deal with theory. So as we calibrated the nuclear device I began to wonder what would happen if atoms accelerated a mass to light speed while decreasing its speed to a negative light speed.”

“You’re insane you’ll kill us all.”

“No, I’m not insane, just desperate. But won’t it be interesting to see what happens.”

“You mad scientist I’ll kill you.”

“Too late I already choose that option. Now I’m a killer just like you, but look at the bright side we’ll get to see the controlling of light first hand. It’s every scientist’s dream.”

With that last sentence the atomic device is activated. The negatively charged atoms are lined into a pattern by being joined with positive charges. The atoms align instantaneously. The entire base is accelerated to light speed and at the same time slowed to negative light speed. The result is a phasing effect that splits all molecules, similar to the reaction of a nuclear bomb, but much more efficient. It eliminates the molecules and atoms completely. The base is gone and so is Germany’s nuclear research.

 

Einstein emerges but there is no rubble or dirt or dust. Einstein notes that all the atoms are gone, because they were released as energy. Then he stands puzzled and wonders, “Why did I survive.” It is theoretically impossible. The whole base was set to disintegrate.

He spots a tunnel, which is not an ordinary tunnel. Suddenly, the traveler comes through the tunnel in a 1930 car. This is unbelievable. This tunnel is a warp in the fabric of time. It is an anomaly.

“So do you need a ride or not. I’m going to the train station. Looks like you haven’t been home for a while. It is time to celebrate. Let’s get some wine.”

What begins on a train ends on a train. Einstein thought that was fitting.

“How did I survive,” Al asks?

“It was the ring,” the Traveler explains. “It is its own atom pattern organizer, one that organized your body’s atoms and saved you. As the base when to light speed and negative light speed at the same time, you went nowhere. So what was it like to observe atoms being phased?”

“I didn’t see much. I was too disoriented.”

“So you missed out on a scene. At least you destroyed 20 years of German research. Oh, and the spies made it back to their respective countries.

You see in the original history Hitler got the atomic bomb and light speed technology. Of course, if you would not have invented them he would still have his scientist’s technology of jet engines, space rockets, and possibly an atomic bomb.

So you see I was always working in your best interest, but when solving one problem we created another one. But there was an overall benefit of stopping Hitler. We have to weigh our decisions to stop Hitler, but at the same time his own decisions affect ours.

In my time we have a branch of mathematics called game theory. It is supposed to show optimal decisions. You were just in a game where brinkmanship was the only answer. You proved this by doing the absolution worst option. You risk everything, but won and gained everything in the process. As for the spies they made it home. Now there is a stage mate. There will be an arms race but it will keep the whole world in check.”

Now I must go, but remember one man can make a difference and do some good, just as many individuals decide individually to be wrong.”

Einstein had no words. What was there to say that hadn’t already been done? He looked at the train window where it all began.

“Our actions begin with our thoughts.”

 

 

References:

 

 

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Einstein

Gary F. Moring, 2000

 

 

The Great Courses; Games People Play: Game Theory in Life, Business, and Beyond

Professor Scott P. Stevens

 

 

Time

Person of the Century Edition; Dec. 31, 1999; Vol. 154 No. 27

[swansont]

1 hour ago, Trurl said:

Here is a short story (fiction) I wrote for a creative writing course in 2010.

!

Moderator Note

Since fiction can’t be relevant, this has been split

 

[exchemist]

2 hours ago, Trurl said:

Here is a short story (fiction) I wrote for a creative writing course in 2010.

 

The instructor called it disappointing, but it is a short read and I think you will like it.
 

 

 

9

 

 

 

 

 

Simply Unified

Bobby Joe Snyder

ENG340 Creative Writing

10-20-10

Dennis Nilson

 

The sun is rising in the east. It is a busy morning rush which is why he chose to ride now. The people are like atoms circling through the rectangular aisle, bouncing off one another, occasionally releasing a charge off the train. They go to power some unknown meaning.

When you are working your hardest as a physicist no one even notices. Your best work comes at the least expected time. It appears if you were day dreaming, while you’re working on unification. So you try and explain your thoughts and it leads nowhere. There aren’t many other physicists on the morning commute.

It is hard to think of science with the political situation in Germany. This train is going across the land so beautiful it doesn’t represent the minds of its people. But one could spend all day pondering it and not get anywhere. If only ethics where as simple as physics.

He ponders his groundbreaking  ideas. “The speed of light is a constant. My example of the train showed that time was different for different observers. It was a ride late at night. If a conductor shines a lantern towards the other end of a train the observer on the train will see the light in a faster time than an observer on the ground, who sees light travel the length of the train car plus its distanced moved (Time Magazine, Dec. 31, 1999, pg. 80).”

He ponders further, “I wish to find a unified theory of everything, but the only way to do it is to find a way to travel the speed of light. What if the speed of light was constant, but you could travel faster than light. Would you pass through time? Maybe if we looked at the speed of light as a state of matter. If one travels at the speed of light what would they see? Would they feel their body gaining infinity larger mass, or would they bounce of matter like we know light does? Would they be affected by other light?”

“Light and time are just as much a mystery. The more we try and explain them the more dead ends of more complex questions we reach. I thought about how if you excited an object to behave as light, so that it is light. It would experience different laws of physics. The object would be traveling light speed, but would it also experience phenomena moving relative to it at light speed. So the speed of light to light would be the speed of the original light squared. This would continue to do so until infinity with new properties of physics being discovered at each increment of the previous light squared.

But my theory is too dangerous to release to the World. I see the beauty of the hills and castles. This is a beautiful land,but do those who rule it deserve such revelation of a new World, when they are quite content to destroy this one. But I say nothing. After all I am only one man.”

“Mind if I sit here,” a young gentleman asks? “Hey aren’t you Albert Einstein?”

“The seat is empty, that is, at this exact time.” 

“So what do you know about time Al?”

“Enough to know few in the World are using it wisely.”

“I agree. Makes me wonder how wise people would treat their time if they could travel the speed of light.”

“What did you just say?”

“Oh, I’m just a fan of yours. It is just that light and time are such mysteries.”

“My friend, who are you, and what are you doing with my theories.”

“I am just a time traveler. With an important message for you Al. This is a time period in which those who choose to lead want to destroy what they think is imperfect.  What God designed, man tries to perfect, but what is perfection, and who is the judge, but the one who judges us all.

Those that see the World’s beauty and amazement are content to be pacifist, because they feel one person can’t change the World, but you already knew that didn’t you Al?”

“You expect me to believe you’re a time traveler?”

“History tells me. I only know what history tells me, Al.

Take this ring. You’re a bright man wear it until you can prove I’m not a time traveler.”

The traveler hands Einstein a ring with a wide emblem. Einstein thinks and reluctantly puts it on.

“It is all relative after all. Isn’t it?”  The traveler remarks then continues.

It’s all relative to kill Hitler even though it might be easier to kill you, Einstein. If I were to kill you, there might not be a nuclear bomb, and all that dangerous knowledge would be lost. Of course, it would also be a loss to the world, too. Without the technology in the right hands, Hitler would still win. Kill Hitlerwithout the right people having the technology and his Army still could win. The results will change with either chess piece. Evil will still exist and technology will still progress.

I want to save the pieces I have and put the most evil king in check to keep the whole world in check. This is game theory at its finest, so it is with time. This is War.

Who else to better decide what to do with the theories than the man who invented them?” 

 

Ten days later on a busy morning commute. Einstein rubs his newly gifted ring.

As he digs deeper into hole of thought, “I know that if someone had the right amount of power, say very easily from the atoms of an atomic explosion, they could arrange the force and atoms into a pattern, a pattern that would excite matter to the speed of light.

No one, especially the traveler, if he is a time traveler, should know this. Why must I know this? In my quest to explain the World I have learned its deepest secret. A secret that is the reason secrets are kept.”

Einstein stands up slowly, like his legs are supporting a head that just had weight added to it. “I have a plan. I have a plan.” He moves to the first passenger car of the train. He sees a dark haired beauty sitting alone in a seat reading a Bible. “This is my contact.”

He sits beside here and she gives him a girlish smile. “You know American Spies make the sexiest women.”

She smiles and asks, “What have you got for me?”

“I have my theories on atomic weapons and how to accelerate to the speed of light. It is all in this ordinary lecture document that has a piece of microfilm in a stamp hidden on the document. Something I stole from the patent office.”

“What is your payment,” she asks?

“I only ask residence in your country for me in my wife. Just take this document to your President.”

Al leaves and heads toward the back to the passenger car 2 cars behind the one he was originally in.

He spots a red headed women reading the Bible. “What book are you reading?”

She gives a full smile and says Psalms. “Do you believe in God Al?”

“Of course he created all things I wish to learn. But I’m glad you didn’t say the Book of Revelation, with the state of the World, that is.

You know Russian Spies make the sexiest women. Here is the microfilm hidden on the document. I only ask in return for a warm welcome of me and my wife to enter your country. Be sure the president gets this.”

He heads back to his original seat. It appears that a man is now sitting in his seat. He makes eye contact, but the man’s face does not hide his hostile intentions. “I hope he doesn’t know my actions,” Einstein thinks. He breaks eye contact but cannot act innocent under these conditions. He moves to the front of the car hoping to hide in a different car with more people or at least let the conductor know someone is after him.

He walks quickly down the aisle and spots another man at the other end of the car pursuing him. He gets to the other car and stops the conductor. He tells him of the strange men, but before he can get out another word the conductor forces his arm behind his back. He feels the pain as the conductor puts him into a squatting position. His limbs are practically immobilized.

He realizes there is no escape. These men want his information, he just knows it. “Think.” “Think you overconfident fool. You thought you could solve this situation by thinking. It is time for action. There is a time when a man must defend himself by brute force and not his intellect. This is that time!”

Einstein bends forward, getting his free arm to the floor. He is now off his back and throws a punch with his free hand. The punch itself is weak, but he is aiming for an eye. The man lets out a wail of pain.

But mind or matter, brute force will not save the day. Two men enter the car and club Einstein over the head. Thud, then blackness of space with the slowing down of time, Einstein is defeated.

 

He wakes up with his head throbbing. He has to wake up and get a sense of direction, but he fails because he is in a total black cell. He yells at the top of his lungs. Nothing, no answer just an echo echoing of the slab of rock for walls. He digs into the rock with his finger nails.

To what feels like ten days later, he hears a voice. “Are you ready to work now Dr. Einstein? There is nothing like confinement to make a stubborn scientist type talk.”

“Get me out of here! What do you want?” His voice is groggy and he is disorientated.

Two soldiers pull him out with a rough tug. He is talking but not making much sense.

“Unification, unification is the answer to nothing, if not everything. Let the world be unified. Unification occurred on the train. That must be why they’re after me.”

“Yes Dr. Einstein,” the higher ranking officer allows him to collect his thoughts. “We are very interested in what you know about unification, especially as it applies to light.

To be blunt, we have the technology you always dreamed of, right here, and if you agree you could lead a team that would bring unification to life.

Of course, if you don’t agree we will be happy to change your mind in ways that can be very persuasive.”

The officer commands the men to take Dr. Einstein to the lab after he stops by the bar. Einstein follows still trying to catch his thoughts. He sees a dimly lighted lounge area with several beautiful women in robes. Einstein is very much a lady’s man, but he doesn’t mix pleasure with the fate of the world. That would just prove corruption and corruption has no place when the entire World is in jeopardy.

“I’m a scientist not a playboy,” he says. Let’s go straight to the lab.

 

So that is how it went for the first 30 days. Einstein was introduced to a nuclear device that was being tested by the Nazis. He wondered how they had gotten the device and advanced in technology so rapidly. How did they know about his theories of light other than those he published?

He thinks to himself “I am an intelligent man, but never claimed to be better than anyone else, even with my fame. These soldiers think they have the right to meet any of their desires, including killing people and controlling the World. My options are limited. I’m a prisoner and I’m in a dilemma.

Everything we do in the World begins with a thought. Thoughts are how we interact. But now I need God’s help, for I cannot think my way out of this situation. It is beyond me. I feel powerless after all I am only one man.”

Einstein prays, “God I do not claim to be a religious man, but I do believe in you. You created all the things I wish to understand and help man reach new heights. Now I face a situation where my theories won’t explain the answer. God help me, simply help me, and more importantly help the world.”

 

It is the day of the test, which will use an atomic device in a protected chamber. The goal is not for a bomb but the controlled release of the atom’s energy.

Einstein is nervous. He has no option but to comply and perform the test.

There is a countdown. Five minutes.

“Do you realize there is no way to stop this thing,” Einstein says to the head officer. 

“Just as there is no way to stop Germany,” the officer replies.

“Do you realize what goes through a man’s mind when he is out of options? Of course you don’t you’re a mass murder, but what happens is he chooses the option that is all or none. He chooses the worst thing in hopes that he can avoid it.”

“What do you mean Dr. Einstein?”

“See, I’m a thinking man. I deal with theory. So as we calibrated the nuclear device I began to wonder what would happen if atoms accelerated a mass to light speed while decreasing its speed to a negative light speed.”

“You’re insane you’ll kill us all.”

“No, I’m not insane, just desperate. But won’t it be interesting to see what happens.”

“You mad scientist I’ll kill you.”

“Too late I already choose that option. Now I’m a killer just like you, but look at the bright side we’ll get to see the controlling of light first hand. It’s every scientist’s dream.”

With that last sentence the atomic device is activated. The negatively charged atoms are lined into a pattern by being joined with positive charges. The atoms align instantaneously. The entire base is accelerated to light speed and at the same time slowed to negative light speed. The result is a phasing effect that splits all molecules, similar to the reaction of a nuclear bomb, but much more efficient. It eliminates the molecules and atoms completely. The base is gone and so is Germany’s nuclear research.

 

Einstein emerges but there is no rubble or dirt or dust. Einstein notes that all the atoms are gone, because they were released as energy. Then he stands puzzled and wonders, “Why did I survive.” It is theoretically impossible. The whole base was set to disintegrate.

He spots a tunnel, which is not an ordinary tunnel. Suddenly, the traveler comes through the tunnel in a 1930 car. This is unbelievable. This tunnel is a warp in the fabric of time. It is an anomaly.

“So do you need a ride or not. I’m going to the train station. Looks like you haven’t been home for a while. It is time to celebrate. Let’s get some wine.”

What begins on a train ends on a train. Einstein thought that was fitting.

“How did I survive,” Al asks?

“It was the ring,” the Traveler explains. “It is its own atom pattern organizer, one that organized your body’s atoms and saved you. As the base when to light speed and negative light speed at the same time, you went nowhere. So what was it like to observe atoms being phased?”

“I didn’t see much. I was too disoriented.”

“So you missed out on a scene. At least you destroyed 20 years of German research. Oh, and the spies made it back to their respective countries.

You see in the original history Hitler got the atomic bomb and light speed technology. Of course, if you would not have invented them he would still have his scientist’s technology of jet engines, space rockets, and possibly an atomic bomb.

So you see I was always working in your best interest, but when solving one problem we created another one. But there was an overall benefit of stopping Hitler. We have to weigh our decisions to stop Hitler, but at the same time his own decisions affect ours.

In my time we have a branch of mathematics called game theory. It is supposed to show optimal decisions. You were just in a game where brinkmanship was the only answer. You proved this by doing the absolution worst option. You risk everything, but won and gained everything in the process. As for the spies they made it home. Now there is a stage mate. There will be an arms race but it will keep the whole world in check.”

Now I must go, but remember one man can make a difference and do some good, just as many individuals decide individually to be wrong.”

Einstein had no words. What was there to say that hadn’t already been done? He looked at the train window where it all began.

“Our actions begin with our thoughts.”

 

 

References:

 

 

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Einstein

Gary F. Moring, 2000

 

 

The Great Courses; Games People Play: Game Theory in Life, Business, and Beyond

Professor Scott P. Stevens

 

 

Time

Person of the Century Edition; Dec. 31, 1999; Vol. 154 No. 27

This is awful. I’m not surprised the instructor did not think much of it. It mangles Einstein’s science and the history of his  life out of all recognition. 

[Trurl]

On 9/4/2024 at 5:55 PM, exchemist said:

This is awful. I’m not surprised the instructor did not think much of it. It mangles Einstein’s science and the history of his  life out of all recognition. 

Yes, it didn’t turn out. I think the trouble is Einstein’s life is already great. If I choose a generic scientist would it read better?

I wanted Einstein’s influence in WWII to be more involved. Not only did he stop the Germans from developing nuclear fission, he stops them. All the while sharing the benefits with both the U.S. and Russia.

I tried to include a lot of symbolism and questions I have of the entire period.

It is alternative history not historical fiction. But I think the story elements are good for a short story. It is the written presentation that fails.

[iNow]

21 minutes ago, Trurl said:

It is alternative history not historical fiction.

This is what’s known in the industry as “a distinction without a difference.”

[zapatos]

I thought historical fiction was real history, say, the Civil War, but then adding dialogue from Grant and Lee that was invented, but consistent with their real characters.

Alternative history being, again say the Civil War, but exploring what would have happened next had Lee won at Gettysburg. 

[Trurl]

1 hour ago, iNow said:

This is what’s known in the industry as “a distinction without a difference.”

I believe alternate history is making a fictional history while historical fiction keeps the original history and tells a story based on fact.

Historical fiction could have Einstein thinking. We don’t know what Einstein was thinking but the author could introduce one of his essays and have that be his thought.

I chose a man who claims to be a time traveler to put the story together. I hint at the time traveler deciding to kill Hitler or kill Einstein. There is a debate on who is easier to kill. The one with knowledge or the one who uses the knowledge for evil. You could say kill Hitler the bad guy, but which choice fits the needs of the time travel?

Also the time travel is a cliche, but it is better than aliens.

[iNow]

37 minutes ago, zapatos said:

I thought historical fiction was real history, say, the Civil War, but then adding dialogue from Grant and Lee that was invented, but consistent with their real characters.

Alternative history being, again say the Civil War, but exploring what would have happened next had Lee won at Gettysburg. 

Nerd 

 

 

🤓 

32 minutes ago, Trurl said:

time travel is a cliche, but it is better than aliens.

Not really

[zapatos]

9 minutes ago, iNow said:

Nerd

<chuckle 🥸>

[exchemist]

8 hours ago, Trurl said:

Yes, it didn’t turn out. I think the trouble is Einstein’s life is already great. If I choose a generic scientist would it read better?

I wanted Einstein’s influence in WWII to be more involved. Not only did he stop the Germans from developing nuclear fission, he stops them. All the while sharing the benefits with both the U.S. and Russia.

I tried to include a lot of symbolism and questions I have of the entire period.

It is alternative history not historical fiction. But I think the story elements are good for a short story. It is the written presentation that fails.

No it is the lack of any understanding of Einstein's work and life that does the damage, to my mind. It's full of of nonsense such as "exciting" matter to the speed of light (impossible and irrelevant), the notion that E=mc² is some sort of key to making an atom bomb (which it isn't) and so on.  Einstein never worked on nuclear fission and his contributions to physics didn't enable anyone to build one. He had nothing to do with Germany's failure to produce an atom bomb. You may possibly be confusing him with Heisenberg, who did work on the German bomb project. Einstein's sole intervention regarding the atom bomb was to sign the letter to President Roosevelt warning of Germany's capacity to build a bomb. The letter was not drafted by Einstein but by Hungarian physicists: Leo Szilard, in conjunction with Edward Teller and Eugene Wigner. In fact they had to explain to Einstein that it was possible to make a fission bomb, as it had never occurred to him. They then persuaded Einstein to sign the letter, as they rightly believed that would ensure the President would read it, their previous attempts to warn the US government having been ignored. 

So what your story needs, first of all, is a bit of basic research into what Einstein did and the actual history of it. And, if you don't understand the science, don't make up preposterous stuff about phasing effects and atoms lining up. Steer clear of technical details: they add nothing to the storyline in any case and just make the story look silly. 

 

[Trurl]

Well I am not qualified to explain Einstein’s theories. I purposely gave him a better understanding of nuclear physics. I didn’t personally know nuclear physics. Obviously no one liked my story. But it is more of a conspiracy story.

Many picture Einstein as E=mc2. But history paints him of a pacifist. I gave him a bigger role in WWII because he is a genius but somehow in the history books he doesn’t know all the theory could be weaponized.

He fled the Germans. He was fortunate but even though he didn’t practice Judaism his people were prosecuted. Don’t you think Einstein would aid the Allies anyway he could. I don’t have any books that describe Einstein’s role in WWII.

One another note, I placed Einstein on a train but I probably didn’t describe that science well. The whole observer on train.

I wanted to draw the attention that Einstein was probably played a bigger part in WWII than history portrays.

This short story was not historical Einstein. It is comic book Einstein. Maybe the made up science is silly, but there is deeper questions to ask beyond the science.

I know nothing is supposed to go the speed of light. But if it works for Star Trek it works for me.

But if I write about the historical Einstein where is the story? I would like to have others share their fan fiction. Write an abstract that would lay out the story of Einstein or anything scientific in fictional form.

It is challenging. There is so many plots of the Allies and Axis teaming up to fight alien lizards.

But sometimes a bad story is overlooked if it requires the reader to examine it further.

[exchemist]

3 hours ago, Trurl said:

Well I am not qualified to explain Einstein’s theories. I purposely gave him a better understanding of nuclear physics. I didn’t personally know nuclear physics. Obviously no one liked my story. But it is more of a conspiracy story.

Many picture Einstein as E=mc2. But history paints him of a pacifist. I gave him a bigger role in WWII because he is a genius but somehow in the history books he doesn’t know all the theory could be weaponized.

He fled the Germans. He was fortunate but even though he didn’t practice Judaism his people were prosecuted. Don’t you think Einstein would aid the Allies anyway he could. I don’t have any books that describe Einstein’s role in WWII.

One another note, I placed Einstein on a train but I probably didn’t describe that science well. The whole observer on train.

I wanted to draw the attention that Einstein was probably played a bigger part in WWII than history portrays.

This short story was not historical Einstein. It is comic book Einstein. Maybe the made up science is silly, but there is deeper questions to ask beyond the science.

I know nothing is supposed to go the speed of light. But if it works for Star Trek it works for me.

But if I write about the historical Einstein where is the story? I would like to have others share their fan fiction. Write an abstract that would lay out the story of Einstein or anything scientific in fictional form.

It is challenging. There is so many plots of the Allies and Axis teaming up to fight alien lizards.

But sometimes a bad story is overlooked if it requires the reader to examine it further.

I reiterate: none of Einstein’s theories were “weaponised” to make a bomb. Nothing in them tells you anything about how to split the atom. 
 

What do you mean by saying Einstein “probably played a bigger part in WWII than history portrayed”? The facts of Einstein’s life are well known. There is no reason to think the accepted history is wrong. He did not get involved in “helping the Allies”, other than to allow his name to be put to the Szilard letter, suggesting the USA should start its own bomb project. The advice in that letter - which actually did not come from his own ideas - was his sole involvement. And , as it turned out, atomic weapons played no part in the defeat of Germany. 

Edited September 7 by exchemist

[Trurl]

Quote

 

I reiterate: none of Einstein’s theories were “weaponised” to make a bomb. Nothing in them tells you anything about how to split the atom. 

But if you read my story which is science fiction the story reads better if you know the setting. It is not historically accurate. This is just how I designed the setting. I do not give written instructions that is the setting. Perhaps no one picks this up and hates the story. I can understand why the reader wouldn’t like me augmenting Einstein. He is fine the way he is. But I change the story to create questions and debates about science, how the Russians developed a bonb soon afterward. To me the atomic bomb is like the gun crisis in the U.S. Once you have them you can’t take them away. And if you could go back in time would you kill the inventors or the ones who misused them?

Personal I feel by reading Einstein had a bigger role in WWIi. It is just conjecture. But why during WWI did a group of scientists risk their lives to measure the light bent in the eclipse. Was it just to prove Einstein right or did that knowledge have practical applications to the war?

I have other thoughts too. But I think my story reads better as a piece of science fiction. The only trouble is if someone did not know the history of Einstein and didn’t realize it is fiction, it would be fake news. That is not my intention. I am only trying to draw attention to the ethics behind science and what man discovers or creates.

[exchemist]

8 hours ago, Trurl said:

But if you read my story which is science fiction the story reads better if you know the setting. It is not historically accurate. This is just how I designed the setting. I do not give written instructions that is the setting. Perhaps no one picks this up and hates the story. I can understand why the reader wouldn’t like me augmenting Einstein. He is fine the way he is. But I change the story to create questions and debates about science, how the Russians developed a bonb soon afterward. To me the atomic bomb is like the gun crisis in the U.S. Once you have them you can’t take them away. And if you could go back in time would you kill the inventors or the ones who misused them?

Personal I feel by reading Einstein had a bigger role in WWIi. It is just conjecture. But why during WWI did a group of scientists risk their lives to measure the light bent in the eclipse. Was it just to prove Einstein right or did that knowledge have practical applications to the war?

I have other thoughts too. But I think my story reads better as a piece of science fiction. The only trouble is if someone did not know the history of Einstein and didn’t realize it is fiction, it would be fake news. That is not my intention. I am only trying to draw attention to the ethics behind science and what man discovers or creates.

What makes you "feel by reading" that Einstein had a bigger role in WW2 than history acknowledges?  What have you read that gives you this idea?

[Ghideon]

9 hours ago, Trurl said:

why during WWI did a group of scientists risk their lives to measure the light bent in the eclipse.

What scientists and what experiment are you referring to? Is the above part of your alternative history plot?

There was an observational test of general relativity in 1919*. Widespread newspaper coverage of the results from the solar ecplise experiment led to worldwide fame for Einstein and his theories.
The Second World War was between 1939-1945.

*) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddington_experiment

[swansont]

51 minutes ago, Ghideon said:

What scientists and what experiment are you referring to? Is the above part of your alternative history plot?

There was an observational test of general relativity in 1919*. Widespread newspaper coverage of the results from the solar ecplise experiment led to worldwide fame for Einstein and his theories.
The Second World War was between 1939-1945.

*) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddington_experiment

The answer to your question is in the link.

“The three expeditions travelled to the Crimea in the Russian Empire to observe the eclipse of 21 August. However, the First World War started in July of that year, and Germany declared war on Russia on 1 August. The German astronomers were either forced to return home or were taken prisoner by the Russians.”

So they didn’t set out during WWI, but they were traveling when war was declared.

(WWII has nothing to do with this. Did you misread “WWI”?)

11 hours ago, Trurl said:

But why during WWI did a group of scientists risk their lives to measure the light bent in the eclipse. Was it just to prove Einstein right or did that knowledge have practical applications to the war?

As I mentioned, the war hadn’t started yet. No connection.

[Ghideon]

19 minutes ago, swansont said:

Did you misread “WWI”

Yes. I need glasses.

[studiot]

On 9/4/2024 at 8:40 PM, Trurl said:

Here is a short story (fiction) I wrote for a creative writing course in 2010.

 

The instructor called it disappointing, but it is a short read and I think you will like it.

What was your purpose in posting this ?

I do not wish to waste time on a substantive reply if you are not really interested in it.

[Trurl]

Quote

 

 

What was your purpose in posting this ?

I just wanted more opinions of the story. I don’t know if my instructor read science fiction. I wanted to know if it was telling the story or a poor execution of writing concepts. A lot of fiction written today reads if it was written by AI. It has the characters but the story is structured to fit 300 pages. I saw on author on Conan say that he wrote a book only to have the editors reword it. I think this leads to a lot of generic fiction. But who am I to complain. Writing good stories is challenging.

Quote

 

What makes you "feel by reading" that Einstein had a bigger role in WW2 than history acknowledges?  What have you read that gives you this idea?

Just conjecture. Einstein is always described as a pacifist. But when the Germans want to kill him, Jewish people, and everyone who disagrees I just feel he’d be convicted to help in any capacity he could. I believe he is too smart not to work in nuclear physics. I don’t see any university he works as not be focusing their resources on the war.

And we only know Einstein for what history gives him credit for. I was reading a book called Code Girls. Those women don’t get credit for their work mostly. I believe we are told the truth about the patent office and relativity but I don’t think this would be the end of Einstein’s work. Sure he worked on Unification and argued with Bohr, but if his theories laid the concept or the first step for nuclear physics why not focus on nuclear physics and not unification? As a pacifist he would not work building weapons, but he could make sure this knowledge is used for good and not destruction.

[iNow]

I think you’d have been better served to select a different character or made one up, perhaps a friend of Einsteins cousin who wasn’t as well studied or known 

[Trurl]

Well I was listening to Ch. 2 ; 29 min in Walter Isaacson’s Einstein and it turns out “the light on the train,” “riding a light wave,” and even Einstein’s religious views are from science fiction writer Aaron Bernstein’s ideas.

The mathematics of General Relativity is Max Planc’s.

Einstein was a know it all jerk. He disrespected his instructors and couldn’t see other points of view.

History is not perfect. And there can be different interpretations. I have only listened to 2 chapters. But what do you guys think about this side of Einstein? I have never read this side before.

An imperfect guy who did great things. Helped by others. Thrown into situations he couldn’t control. And prevails. Reads science fiction. Excellent candidate to be a Biblical character. Or at least a character in a science fiction short story.

[Trurl]

I’m going to share a very abstract idea but thinking as a scientist you may like it.

 

I don’t believe in the god of Spinoza. Einstein mentions the mind of God and searches for its secrets. Which makes sense so far.

 

But I would disagree that this God would not be involved with people. These people are of his creations.

 

I picture this God creating everything and having total control over all. To this God it would be like the Matrix. We could visualize him as a programmer of the World. Physics to him would be like a computer model running a set of rules or instructions. This way you could have infinite events happening all at once and they would run on their own.

 

But they would be interesting but after a while they would be boring to God. So God created life. Individual minds that act in the World. These individuals are what make the world interesting. God would know what he thinks of the World but now he has descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky to share it with.

Edited Tuesday at 03:20 AM by Trurl
Forgot to type he thinks of the world

[zapatos]

10 hours ago, Trurl said:

I’m going to share a very abstract idea but thinking as a scientist you may like it.

 

Well, from the perspective of 'it made me laugh', yes I did like it.

I'm unsure why you think scientists would like it though. It is about the most unscientific story I've ever seen.

[Trurl]

I’m glad you liked it. I think good science and good science fiction go hand in hand. I think science is the art of discovery and science fiction is how it relates to our lives and humanity. I probably wouldn’t be interested in science if it wasn’t for Spider-Man and Dr. Victor von Doom.

It is still challenging to write good stories. Presentation of the story is everything.

On 9/10/2024 at 6:16 PM, Trurl said:

 

Well I was listening to Ch. 2 ; 29 min in Walter Isaacson’s Einstein and it turns out “the light on the train,” “riding a light wave,” and even Einstein’s religious vie

 

I just wanted to update my opinion of Einstein’s thought experiments originating in science fiction. I don’t believe it. I know that most ideas aren’t purely original, but these thought experiments have to originate with Einstein. Does anyone agree?