Einstein’s E=√((mc²)²+(cp)²) generates the wave equations of electrons and light. Apply Planck and de Broglie operators. For m≠0, s=1/2 it produces the Dirac equation (reducing to Schrödinger when v≪c); for m=0, s=1 it becomes Maxwell’s equations written as (i/c)∂Ψ/∂t = ∇×Ψ with Ψ=E+iB. These govern modern electronics and photonics. The same square-root energy unites particle and field.

Einstein Once Attempted to Build a Static Universe But It Could Not Stay Still Einstein once modified his own field equations because he believed the universe should remain perfectly static forever. The extra term he introduced, the cosmological constant Λ, balanced gravity against cosmic expansion. However, even this balance was unstable, and later observations of distant galaxies showed the universe was expanding, not holding still.

Einstein kept saying for 30 years that physics couldn’t work this way—but it turned out that it does. Imagine two particles are created together and then separated. Now there’s no connection between them—no wire, no signal. You choose one particle. The moment you measure it, you instantly know the state of the other particle—even if it’s in another galaxy with no apparent connection. If you measure particle one, you immediately know the state of particle two. And if you measure particle two, you know the state of particle one. But there’s no visible link between them. So how is this information shared faster than the speed of light? This phenomenon is called quantum entanglement. Einstein believed deep down that there must be some hidden variables or hidden symmetries in nature that connect these particles—it’s just that we don’t know about them yet. He argued this for many years. However, the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for experiments that showed Einstein was wrong. There are no hidden variables—this is simply how nature works.

Einstein and David Hilbert independently pursued General Relativity. Einstein relied on physical intuition and thought experiments, while Hilbert used rigorous mathematics and advanced geometry. Einstein reached the final theory first, and Hilbert accepted it graciously. Hilbert’s efforts also led to Emmy Noether’s work, producing Noether’s Theorem—one of the deepest foundations of modern physics.

Einstein’s field equations (with cosmological constant) in fully expanded form. Gμν + Λgμν = 8πG/c⁴ Tμν The large panel below shows the complete coordinate expansion of the Einstein tensor Gμν expressed entirely in terms of the metric tensor gαβ and its first- and second-order partial derivatives - the explicit differential equations at the heart of general relativity.

Albert Einstein’s matriculation certificate from when he was 17. He received the highest possible grade, 6, in algebra, geometry, descriptive geometry, physics, and history. His mathematics grades were excellent. The claim that Einstein was a poor mathematics student is misleading. When he was 12, he taught himself algebra and Euclidean geometry. He also independently found his own proof of the Pythagorean theorem and began studying calculus. The available evidence shows that Einstein was a very strong mathematics student from a young age.

Even Einstein needed a hundred failed attempts before the one that worked. At RAISE Summit, Ekin Dogus Cubuk, Co-CEO of Periodic Labs, made the case that real scientific progress has never come from a static dataset. It comes from a lab that can iterate with the universe itself, trying, failing, and trying again. He connected this to a deeper loop already underway: better AI helps design better chips, and better chips help build better AI. It's a new kind of Moore's Law, but rooted in physical hardware rather than just transistors. The twist making this iteration loop faster than ever? Cheap robotics. Cubuk pointed to simple robots, the kind that can make you coffee at SF airport, now available for around $10,000. That cost drop means physical experiments can now be run faster and far more often, accelerating the entire cycle of discovery. Which changes the arithmetic entirely. If a hundred failed attempts is the price of one breakthrough, the question stops being whether you have the insight and starts being how cheaply and how often you can be wrong. Einstein had a lifetime to run his hundred attempts. The next Einstein might have an afternoon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch all RAISE Summit 2026 sessions ungated and free.