## Wednesday, September 3, 2008

### Chronology of Einstein’s Mistakes

1905 Mistake in clock synchronization procedure on which Einstein based special relativity

1905 Failure to consider Michelson-Morley experiment

1905 Mistake in transverse mass of high-speed particles

1905 Multiple mistakes in the mathematics and physics used in calculation of viscosity of liquids, from which Einstein deduced size of molecules

1905 Mistakes in the relationship between thermal radiation and quanta of light

1905 Mistake in the first proof of E=mc²

1906 Mistakes in the second, third, and fourth proofs of E=mc²

1907 Mistake in the synchronization procedure for accelerated clocks

1907 Mistakes in the Principle of Equivalence of gravitation and acceleration

1911 Mistake in the first calculation of the bending of light

1913 Mistake in the first attempt at a theory of general relativity

1914 Mistake in the fifth proof of E=mc²

1915 Mistake in the Einstein-de Haas experiment

1915 Mistakes in several attempts at theories of general relativity

1916 Mistake in the interpretation of Mach’s principle

1917 Mistake in the introduction of the cosmological constant (the “biggest blunder”)

1919 Mistakes in two attempts to modify general relativity

1925 Mistakes and more mistakes in the attempts to formulate a unified theory

1927 Mistakes in discussions with Bohr on quantum uncertainties

1933 Mistakes in interpretation of quantum mechanics (Does God play dice?)

1934 Mistake in the sixth proof of E=mc²

1939 Mistake in the interpretation of the Schwarzschild singularity and gravitational collapse (the “black hole”)

1946 Mistake in the seventh proof of E=mc²

[Via Discover Magazine]