00:00Ever seen this guy? A total superstar of science. That's young Albert Einstein.
00:13And I'm sure this looks familiar. The most famous formula in the world.
00:18And guess what? Einstein came up with that formula right here in this city, Bern, in Switzerland.
00:25A tranquil city with just under 150,000 inhabitants. Bern lies in the German-speaking part of the country.
00:33Many people think that Zurich is the capital of Switzerland. Not so. Bern is the seat of the parliament and government.
00:45Today we're exploring Bern, following in the footsteps of Albert Einstein.
00:50Where did he live and work? What does his signature formula mean? And why is it so famous?
00:56And how many of these Einstein benches can be found in Bern?
01:01Don't worry though, you don't need a physics degree for our little tour.
01:07Albert Einstein came to Bern in 1902. At that time the old town looked almost exactly as it does today.
01:14It's hardly changed since the 12th century and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
01:21Einstein came to Bern in search of a job. Here at the patent office, he finally found a well-paid permanent position.
01:29He was 22 years old and already had completed his physics degree.
01:33But nobody wanted to hire him as a scientist. At the patent office, the genius had to evaluate other people's inventions.
01:39You might like to visit Einstein's apartment. He lived on the second floor of this building, from 1903 to 1905, along with his first wife Mileva and their son.
01:49He'd climbed these stairs every day after work.
02:02Paul Burkhardt from the Einstein Society of Bern shows me the apartment. Bedroom, kitchen, children's room, living room.
02:10This was Albert, Mileva and Hans little kingdom of their own.
02:15It had no study and yet it was in this apartment that the famous formula was born.
02:21Supported by his wife Mileva. She was a mathematician and Albert could discuss his ideas with her, developing them further.
02:28Then, in 1905, the hour was nigh. Einstein published not just one, but five groundbreaking articles on light, matter and energy.
02:40Among them was his special theory of relativity. The formula, energy equals mass times the speed of light squared.
02:48From 1905 onward, Einstein's scientific career slowly gained momentum. But he only became a universally known superstar when he received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1922.
03:05Time for a break. My destination is a location called Altes Tram Depot. There is also an Einstein bench here.
03:12He looks to be about in his mid to late 20s. I would guess so in the age of his years in Bern.
03:22The Altes Tram Depot scores points for its view, its home-brewed beer and its delicious Rösti.
03:29A thick potato pancake, typically served with fried bacon.
03:34I go for the vegetarian option, which is served with egg.
03:37Mmm. This is really good.
03:43I am making a short stop at the University of Bern.
03:47Here we find our third Einstein bench.
03:50In 1908, Einstein rose to the rank of lecturer at the University.
03:54You can learn more about Einstein's life story at the Einstein Museum.
03:57The wall of mirrors introduces you to Einstein's world of thought.
04:08Where does light come from?
04:10What is an original? What is a reproduction?
04:13What could infinity mean?
04:14The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 was a life-changing event for him.
04:24This museum also talks about the atomic bomb, a pretty dark topic.
04:29In what way is Einstein's theory of relativity connected to the bomb?
04:34Well, the formula, E equals MC squared, says that even tiny amounts of mass can be converted into huge amounts of energy.
04:44So that is the principle behind nuclear fission, which is the basis for the atomic bomb.
04:50But Einstein himself was never directly involved in this program.
04:53And after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, Einstein was deeply shaken and he was devastated and really regretted the use of that bomb.
05:05Back then, he became an even stronger advocate for peace and disarmament.
05:10And he kept on warning the world of the devastating power of nuclear weapons.
05:14In front of the Einstein Museum, we find the fourth bench dedicated to the superstar of physics.
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