1. Isaac Newton was a bad teacher
In 1669, 26-year-old Isaac Newton received honorary position as Lucasian professor of mathematics at his alma mater, Trinity College, Cambridge University. From that moment on, the scientist had to lecture at least once a week on a topic of his choice, as well as help students who turned to him.
That’s just Newton thought teaching was a waste of time and certainly not a born lecturer. The physicist conducted the classes boringly, explained confusedly and without enthusiasm. As a result, at his lecture went at best 3-4 students.
Humphrey Newton
Newton’s assistant at the university.
He rarely left his office. Unless when he gave lectures, which students attended so poorly, even less understood that sometimes, due to a lack of listeners, he read for the walls.
It should be noted that the attendance of university classes, as well as the diligence and discipline of students, were then generally low. Nevertheless, Newton’s lectures were especially unpopular. So, about my studies with the great physicist – a fact that you can be proud of – remembered only three students. And this is for almost 30 years that Newton taught at Cambridge.
However, the scientist himself did not seem to care much. He received a well-paid position and a lot of free time to do science.
2. Nikolai Lobachevsky in his youth did not differ in exemplary behavior
The future creator of non-Euclidean geometry always studied well, but discipline is not I loved.
After the gymnasium, in which even letters to relatives were allowed to write only under the supervision of guards, Lobachevsky was able to enjoy the freedom of the university in Kazan. During his studies, the name of the mathematician was mentioned 33 times in a special journal (conduit), where the misconduct of students was recorded.
Although Lobachevsky mostly cursed with teachers and violated discipline, sometimes he committed extravagant antics. So, the students said that Lobachevsky jumped over the obese professor Nikolsky on a dare. The young man allegedly seized a good moment when the teacher slowly descended the stairs.
In 1808, Lobachevsky and a friend launched a rocket in the courtyard of the university. For this act, the negligent student spent three days in a punishment cell, eating bread and water. And in 1810, despite the prohibitions, Lobachevsky went to New Year’s carnivals several times.
The mathematician was even accused of atheism, a serious offense at that time. As it was said in the conduit: “To a large extent, he showed signs of godlessness …”
Lobachevsky tortured everyone so much that they even wanted to expel him from the university and send him to the soldiers. Fortunately, teachers stood up for the young rake – professors Martin Bartels and Franz Broner. As a result, Lobachevsky graduated from Kazan University and stayed to work there: he became a professor, and later a rector.
3. Charles Darwin was afraid of the sight of blood
Charles Darwin’s father Robert was practicing physician, but could not stand the sight of blood. This feature was transferred to Charles himself.
Charles Darwin
British biologist and naturalist.
In the last years of his life, even the very thought of an operation disgusted him, and he could hardly bear the sight of a bleeding person; this fear was transmitted to them and to me, and I remember with what horror I read in my school years about how Pliny (I think he) bled to death in a warm bath.
Although Darwin Sr. did not particularly like his profession, he made a lot of money in this business. And so he decided to send his two sons, Erasmus and Charles, to study at the medical faculty. If the first one was even able to get a diploma, then the second one gave up everything. From one look at the blood and mutilation, Charles became ill.
Charles Darwin
British biologist and naturalist.
Twice I also visited the operating room of the hospital in Edinburgh and was present at two very difficult operations, and during one of them a child was operated on, but I escaped without waiting for them to be completed. Never again did I go to surgery, and there would hardly have been a lure so attractive that it could be used to force me to do this.
The great naturalist never overcame this fear, although later thoughtthat over time he could overcome disgust, and knowledge in anatomy would be useful to him in scientific works.
4. Albert Einstein gave all the Nobel money to his wife and children as alimony.
The creator of the theory of relativity was married twice. As a student, he met with Mileva Marich, a classmate at the Swiss Polytechnic Institute, who was not inferior to Einstein in knowledge and abilities.
Unfortunately, while Albert conquered the physical Olympus, Mileva faced many setbacks. She never received her degree and diploma, gave birth to an illegitimate daughter whose fate is unknown, and resigned herself to the role of a housewife when she and Einstein finally married in 1903.
Already in 1912, Albert began an affair with his cousin and future second wife Elsa Leventhal (nee Einstein). The physicist’s marriage began to fall apart: since 1914, the couple did not live together, and Einstein only sent money to his wife and sons.
At the divorce of Mileva put forward condition: Einstein must donate the money that he will receive with the Nobel Prize for the needs of children. Such are the unusual alimony. Former spouses even signed a special agreement. When Einstein received the award in 1921, he fulfilled his obligation.
Some researchers even believe that such a strange requirement was not accidental. They suggest that Einstein and Marić worked together and wrote papers. In confirmation, the words of acquaintances of the physicist and the results of linguistic analysis are given, but there is no direct evidence of such a creative union.
5. The Bohr brothers were into football.
The interests of the Danish physicist and Nobel laureate Niels Bohr extended far beyond science. For example, he was not indifferent to football and even played a season as a goalkeeper at Akademisk Boldklub, one of the oldest and strongest clubs in Denmark at the time. tell even how, during one of the matches, Niels thought deeply about some task and missed a long-range shot.
Niels’ younger brother, the famous mathematician Harald, also played for Akademisk and achieved great success. He hit to the Danish national team and won the silver medal at the 1908 London Olympics. In the final, the Danes lost to the founders of football – the British.