Einstein’s Path to Relativity

This presentation by Jurgen Renn charts Einstein’s journey from his 1905 ‘annus mirabilis’ (‘miracle year’) when he was still a lowly unknown patent clerk in the Swiss Patent Office to the giant of 20th century physics 10 years later with the publication of General Relativity. The presentation focuses on the insights Einstein gained from his thought experiments and his interactions with fellow physicists and mathematicians at the time.