Dr.

Albert Einstein and American Colleagues, 1931

Author(s): Albert Einstein and Robert A. Millikan
Source: Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 93, No. 7, Theory of Relativity
in Contemporary Science. Papers Read at the Celebration of the Seventieth Birthday of
Professor Albert Einstein in Princeton, March 19, 1949 (Dec. 30, 1949), pp. 543-545
Published by: American Philosophical Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3143144
Accessed: 15-01-2016 20:46 UTC

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 DR. ALBERT EINSTEIN AND AMERICAN COLLEAGUES, 1931

The textin Dr. Einstein'sown hand of his replyto the welcomeof the scientistsof the California
Instituteof Technologyin 1931 has recentlybeen depositedby SeymourAdelman in the Libraryof
the American Philosophical Society and is here reproducedin facsimileand translationwith the
introductory address at thattimeby Dr. RobertA. Millikan. A translationhas previouslybeen pub-
lishedin Science.

DR. MILLIKAN'S INTRODUCTION

I now have the extraordinary pleasureof intro- Einsteinshowedin 1905 in acceptinga new group
ducingProfessorEinsteinhimself,but in doing so of experimentalfactsand followingthemto what
I wish to dispel a very commonmisconception, seemedto himto be theirinevitableconsequences,
fortheaverageman,who onlyknowssciencefrom whethertheywere reasonableor not, as gauged
afar, labors, I suspect,under the misunderstand- by theconceptionsprevalentat thetime,has never
ingthatwe honorEinsteinonlybecausehe was the been morestrikingly demonstrated.
author of the theoryof relativity. Now, every Any smallcontributions thatI myselfmay have
physicistknows that the Nobel Prize committee, made to the progressof physicshave been largely
which awarded him that honor in 1921, did not in the natureof experimentalverification of pre-
have to considerthe theoryof relativityat all in dictionscontainedin three theoreticalequations
makingthataward. They mighthave givenit on firstset up by Einstein,and but one of these has
any one of at least fourgrounds,and the scientific had anythingto do with relativity. The firstof
world would have been unanimousin applauding these was the Brownian movement equation
the award on any one of them. I myselfhave the (1905) whose verificationby a number of ob-
best of reasons for knowingwhich one of these serversremovedthe last doubtsas to the atomic
of matter; the second was the afore-
four they actually chose, for the late Professor theory
mentionedphotoelectricequation (also 1905),
Gullstrand,the chairmanof the Nobel committee,
whichchangedradicallyour conceptionas to the
in makingthe 1923 award statedthat it was the
natureof radiation;thethirdwas the equationex-
experimentalverificationof the Einstein photo-
pressingtheinterconvertibilityofmass and energy.
electricequation that removedall doubt as to its
This grew out of special relativity(also 1905)
validityin themindsof thecommittee, so thatthey and it has recentlypredictedfor me verifiable
chose the firsttheoreticalstatementof that equa-
relationsin the radio-activefield,and it also con-
tionin 1905 by ProfessorEinsteinas the basis of stitutesthe
most importantbasis for the cosmic
the award to him in 1921 and the experimental
ray conclusionsthat I am now wishingto draw.
verificationthereofas the half basis of the 1923 All these threeare of equal significance, I think,
award. Now, this equationhas nothingwhatever with the predictionsfromthe general theoryof
to do withrelativity, but I thinkthatall students relativity,the experimentalverificationof which
of modernphysicswill agree that it is of quite Dr. Campbellhas just described. You can throw
as far-reachingsignificanceas is relativity,or, generalrelativity intothewaste basket,ifyou will,
indeed,as is anythingthathas appearedin modem and ProfessorEinstein's positionas the leading
physics,for it necessitated,as soon as it was mind in the developmentof our modernphysics
firmlyestablished,our returnto at least a semi- would stillremainunchallenged. It is a veryhigh
corpusculartheoryof thenatureof radiantenergy. honorto be able to introducehimto the associates
The extraordinary penetrationand boldnesswhich tonight.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHiCAL SOCIETY, VOL.93, NO. 7, DECEMBER, 1949
543

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544 DR. ALBERT EINSTEIN [PROC. AMER. PHIL. SOC-

DR. EINSTEIN'S ADDRESS

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VOL. 93, NO. 7, 19491 DR. ALBERT EINSTEIN 545

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RANSATOAt OFA

TRANSLATION OF ADDRESS

From far away I have come to you; but not to cerningthe dependenceof the red shiftin the
strangers. I have come to men who for many spectrallines of the spiral nebulae on theirdis-
years have been true comrades with me in my tance, has led to a dynamicconceptionof the
labors. You, my honoredDr. Michelson,began spatialstructure oftheuniverse,to whichTolman's
this workwhen I was onlya small boy, not even work has given an originaland especiallyillumi-
a meterhigh. It was you who led the physicists natingtheoreticalexpression.
into new paths,and throughyour marvelousex- Likewise in the realmof the quantumtheoryI
perimentalwork paved the way even thenforthe am gratefulto you for importantassistance be-
developmentof the theoryof relativity.You un- cause of yourfundamental experimental investiga-
coveredan insidiousdefectin the ethertheoryof tions. Here I acknowledgegratefullyMillikan's
light,as it thenexisted,and stimulatedtheideas of researches concerningthe photo-electriceffect,
H. A. Lorentz and FitzGerald,out of whichthe whichfirstproved conclusivelythat the emission
special theoryof relativitydeveloped. These in of electronsfromsolid bodies underthe influence
turnled theway to thegeneraltheoryof relativity, of light is associated with a definiteperiod of
and to the theoryof gravitation. Withoutyour vibrationof the light itself,which result of the
work this theorywould today be scarcelymore quantumtheoryis especiallycharacteristic forthe
than an interesting speculation;it was your veri- corpuscularstructure of radiation.
ficationswhich firstfurnishedthe real basis for While I let my spiritreflectupon all this,I ac-
thetheory. Campbell'sdetermination of thebend- count myselfexceedinglyfortunateto be able to
ing of rays of light passing the sun; St. John's sit at table withyou here in joyous mood,fullof
determination of the red shiftof spectrallines due the happy convictionthat your researcheswill
to the gravitationalpotentialexistingat the sur- continuethroughthefutureto broadenand deepen,
face of the sun; Adams' determination of the red withoutlet or hindrance,our knowledgeof the
shiftin the lightwhichcomes to us fromthe com- mysteriousforces of nature. From my heart I
panionof Sirius-furnishsome of thebest support thankyou all.
for the general theoryof relativity. Beyond all
this, the studies of your wonderfulobservatory, AlbertEinstein
throughthe recentdiscoveries[of Hubble] con- Pasadena. 12. II. 31.

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