Einstein Improving

Dr. Norbert Wiener, mathematician of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, last week published in the Technology Review some remarks on Mathematician Albert Einstein. Two points he made: 1) that all the talk about Einstein being "incomprehensible" is bosh, so far as mathematicians are concerned; 2) that there is as yet no final Einstein Theory -the document published last January is but part of a chain of thought; 3) Einstein has already noted deficiencies in his January work, modified it and progressed to further conclusions.

Said the Wiener article:

"Einstein's January paper is one of the many attempts that have been made to bind up gravitational relativity and electrical theory into a single whole. . . .

"The publicity given to the January papers led one to believe that this is the manuscript of Einstein instead of a manuscript of Einstein. I may say that no word of Professor Einstein has ever lent color to that notion. His paper is but one of a series of which it is neither the first nor the last, nor in any notable way distinguished from the others. . . .

"We have this on the basis of direct advices from Professor Einstein himself. His correspondence bears the tone of scholarly dignity and magnanimity. . . ."

To Cardinal O'Connells recent attack on Einstein as an atheist (see p. 44). Mathematician Wiener made this reply:

"The pretended incomprehensibility of the Einstein theory has been used as capital by professional anti-Einsteinians. These have had a recent recruit in a churchman of prominence, who has made his inability to understand it sufficient cause to utter a warning to the layman not to be misled by such tempting obscurities. Without prejudice to the cause of religion I may remark that theological discussions have not at all times been distinguished by their character of lucidity."