EDITORIAL FEATURE

8 Albert Einstein Quotes

8 inspirational, intriguing and beautiful quotes from the scientist himself

Today Albert Einstein is our very definition of genius. His work in theoretical physics is not only the founding principles of modern science, but he has also become a cultural icon in his own right: Mariah Carey has an album that references his most famous breakthrough, entitled 'E=MC²'; he's featured on the cover of The Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'; and he is even the inspiration for the Jedi master Yoda in Star Wars.

While most well-known for his mathematical equation 'E =MC²', Einstein also had a way with words, and many beautiful quotes have been attributed to him over the years. Here are some of our favorites in celebration of the iconic physicist's life.

Yoda on the cover of TIME magazine (Collection: LIFE Photo Collection)

"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." – Albert Einstein

Einstein lecturing on relativity at the Tokyo Imperial University (Collection: Einstein Archives, Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination." – Albert Einstein

Portrait of Professor Albert Einstein, 1947, Alfred Eisenstaedt (Collection: LIFE Photo Collection)

"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." – Albert Einstein

Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, dir. of the Institute of Advanced Study, discussing the theory of matter in terms of space with Dr. Albert Einstein (Collection: LIFE Photo Collection)

"The only source of knowledge is experience" – Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein, by Fritz Goro (Collection: LIFE Photo Collection)

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school" – Albert Einstein

Einstein lecturing (Collection: Einstein Archives, Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

"Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas" – Albert Einstein

This painting includes Einstein’s handwritten notes and equations, an image referring to the effect of mass and gravity, and references to Einstein’s famous thought experiment where visualizing clocks on a moving train assisted in formulating the theory of relativity. Finis et Infinitus, 2014, Lynda Lowe (Collection: Embassy of the United States Bern, Switzerland)

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving" – Albert Einstein

Einstein riding a bike, Santa Barbara, California (Collection: Einstein Archives, Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better" – Albert Einstein

Prof. Albert Einstein on his sailboat at Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks, 1936 (Collection: LIFE Photo Collection)
Words by Léonie Shinn-Morris
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