Stachel exposes misconceptions of Einstein’s intelligence
By Jerry Guenther
Staff Reporter
The misconception that Albert Einstein was
the world’s greatest mathematician is just one
of many myths which surround the legend, said
John Stachel, a professor of physics at Boston
University.
Stachel, editor of the “The Collected Papers
of Albert Einstein,” spoke to a crowd of about
125 at the Sheldon Theater Wednesday night.
He said Einstein never had it easy with
mathematics, especially as a young man.
“Indeed when he did need assistance in his
work, it was usually the mathematicians (he
collaborated with),” said Stachel. “That was
the area in which he felt the most need for help,
he could take care of the physics,” he said.
Another myth about Einstein is the percep
tion that he was an purely abstract thinker. That
is the opposite of the real case, Stachel said.
“Einstein grasped the world primarily in con
crete images,” Stachel said. “His problem was
to translate these images afterwards into words
and equations that he could share with other
people,” he said.
Stachel said amazingly Einstein didn’t start
out with an academic job, but got his first job in
a Swiss patent office.
‘Indeed when he did
need assistance in his
work, it was usually the
mathematicians (he
collaborated with).’
—Stachel
Although one might think that it must have
been lough for a genius like Einstein to lower
himself to the drudgery of patent office routine,
Stachcl said Einstein called it a “true blessing”
for himself.
“By the time he left (the patent office job),
he had published over two dozen research
papers, at least four of which were of the most
profound significance,” Stachel said.
Einstein retained an interest in practical
inventions throughout his life as a result of
working in the patent office, Stachel said.
Stachcl also said as a student, Einstein cut
many classes and studied on his own because he
felt he learned more by “direct observation of
facts.”
GM s solar-powered ‘raycer
called efficient but impractical
By Debra Witt
Staff Reporter
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
students caught a glimpse of technol
ogy Wednesday in a solar-powered
car that won the World Solar Chal
lenge race in November.
The Sunraycer outdistanced its
closest competitor in the 1,950-mile
race by 650 miles, said Howard
Wilson, vice president of Hughes
Aircraft in charge of GM projects.
The race in Australia was the first
international race across a continent
for solar-powered cars, Wilson said.
The race brought 25 cars from the
United States, Australia, Pakistan,
Denmark, Japan and Switzerland.
The Sunraycer was built specifically
to run in the race, Wilson said.
Wilson said he foresees no practi
cal use for a completely solar-pow
ered car in the present form. He said
the Sunraycer is impractical because
the car runs only on sun power and
only achieves two horsepowers to
Reunion open today
From Staff Reports
The Reunion will open today at
about 9 or 10 a.m., said David
Hunter, president of Hardy Building
Corp.
Earlier this week, Hunter said the
Reunion would open Wednesday at
noon or early that evening. But final
inspections and cleanup took longer
than anticipated, he said.
The food businesses located in the
Reunion also needed more lime to
prepare for the opening, Hunter said.
Willie Nelson to aid
Kerrey’s campaign
By Lee Rood
Senior Reporter
Officials at Bob Kerrey’s U.S.
Senate campaign headquarters an
nounced Tuesday thatcountry-music
star Willie Nelson will help the for
mer governor campaign May 9 in
Nebraska communities.
Nelson, a longtime activist for
distressed farmers, will join Kerrey
in Hastings, Omaha and Lincoln and
possibly other communities, a Ker
rey spokesman said.
bieve jarding, Kerrey s press sec
retary, said Kerrey is pieased Nelson
is joining his campaign. Jarding said
Kerrey and Nelson’s relationship
dates back to Lincoln’s Farm Aid III
concert in September.
Jarding said Kerrey and Nelson
share similar “moral and fundamen
tal beliefs about society.”
“Kerrey welcomes any type of
support from individuals with com
passion about this devastated seg
ment of the country,” Jarding said,
referring to struggling Nebraska
l farmers.
Jarding said if both have time,
Kerrey and Nelson will campaign
together in other Nebraska commu
| nities, including North Platte and
South Sioux City.
Jarding said this is not the first
time Nelson has campaigned for a
Democratic candidate.
Kerrey was in Washington, D.C.,
| Wednesday and unavailable for
comment. In hispress release, Kerrey
said, “In 1984, Willie Nelson under
stood and was moved by the devasta
tion faced by thousands of Nebraskan
farmers and our rural communities.
When we needed a boost he was
there. He did something about it. I
welcome his return home to Ne
braska.”
reach an average speed of about 41
mph.
The only type of solar-powered car
that might be practical soon would be
a commuter car that would go only 10
or 15 miles and then sit all day in the
sun to recharge for the trip back,
Wilson said.
But, he said, it is more likely that
an electrical battery will be designed
to perform with less energy.
While completely solar-powered
cars will not be seen soon, Wilson
said, car makers can apply what was
learned from making the Sunraycer to
building more efficient cars.
Some of the design technologies
used in building the Sunraycer al
ready are being used, said Alfred H.
Witte, assistant dean of the UNL
College of Engineering and Technol
ogy.
Solar cells used in the car are used
in satellites, Witte said. The same
technology seen in the Sunraycer’s
batteries are found in some batteries
now, he said.
Witt said a car now can be partially
powered from a solar panel placed in
the back window.
During the race, the 360-pound
Sunraycer averaged 41.6 mph and a
top speed of 70 mph. The car is 19.7
feet long, 6.6 feet wide and 3.3 feet
high. Its solar panel is 12 feet long and
o teet wide.
The car and its racing-team drivers
will appear on the Broyhill Plaza from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. Friday the
Sunraycer will be displayed during
the same times at the Walter Scott
Engineering Center. Wilson said GM
engineers and the drivers will be
available to answer questions about
the car and race.
Witte said the Sunraycer’s appear
ance will coincide with the College of
Engineering and Technology’s An
nual awards program in which five
awards will be given to outstanding
alumni and corporations.
Eric Gregory/Daily Nebraskan
General Motors representatives show off their company's solar>powered Sunraycer.
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