In the 1910s, Albert Einstein proposed a series of theories that led to new ways of thinking about space, time, and gravitation. For the first time, the scientific world raced far beyond the theories of the seventeenth century English scientist Sir Isaac Newton, who began his study of gravity by observing an apple fall from a tree. Einstein's famous energy-mass equation, which asserts that a particle of matter can be transformed into an astounding quantity of energy, led to the construction of atomic and hydrogen bombs with unimaginable capacities for destruction. In his own time he was widely recognized as one of the most innovative geniuses in human history. Today, in the realm of popular culture, his name is synonymous with genius, and many a young prodigy has been called an "Einstein."

Albert Einstein

He was born in Ulm, Germany, on March 14, 1879, and grew...