Friday, August 13, 2021

Just a Little Silly

There was an interesting conversation at our house last weekend, and it's made me smile all week whenever I thought about it. 

Justin was talking about weed-whacking at Einstein's house, and Ryan thought he was using "Einstein" in a sarcastic way, that he was weed-whacking for some guy who wasn't too bright. It might help to understand that Justin works on the groundskeeping crew at The Institute for Advanced Study. It's "an independent center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It has served as the academic home of internationally preeminent scholars, including J. Robert Oppenheimer and, Albert EinsteinHermann WeylJohn von Neumann, and Kurt Gödel, after they immigrated to the United States." Since its founding in 1930, it has served as one of the "few institutions in the world where the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake is the ultimate raison d'être. Speculative research, the kind that is fundamental to the advancement of human understanding of the world of nature and of humanity, is not a product that can be made to order. Rather, like artistic creativity, it benefits from a special environment."

The campus at IAS comprises more than 600 acres and many buildings. One of those buildings is Einstein's house at 112 Mercer Street in Princeton. It's a private residence now, but since IAS owns it, Justin really was weed-whacking at Einstein's house. Ryan was astounded by this (as I am a little bit also) once he understood that there was no sarcasm involved. This led to a long conversation between the three of us about Einstein, and we started to look things up when we ran out of facts that we knew off hand. That led us to this extraordinary photo:

Yes, that's Einstein on the porch of that same house wearing fuzzy slippers. It's real, not photoshopped, and the original photo is owned by the Historical Society of Princeton. Ryan and Justin were immediately taken with this picture, exclaiming that they needed t-shirts with the photo on them. "How great would it be to weed-whack at Einstein's house while wearing a T-shirt with his fuzzy slipper picture?!" 

I'll admit that I'm also quite taken with this photo, that a man of Einstein's intellectual ability didn't take himself too seriously and had his picture taken with his fuzzy slippers on. I wasn't aware that a photo like this existed, but now it seems important for me to let everyone know about it. And to get Ryan and Justin t-shirts with the fuzzy slipper photo on them (and maybe one for myself, too). 

13 comments:

  1. This is so great Bonny!! Love the picture and tee shirts would be perfect (or a mug for coffee??). Have a great weekend.

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  2. First, I have to applaud you for using "comprises" correctly -- that is one word I encounter all too often being misused!

    I think Fuzzy Slipper Einstein would be brilliant on a t-shirt. Perhaps you all need to suggest it to the historical society as a fundraiser?

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  3. I love the fuzzy slippers and his ease of wearing them :) AND I learned something new!

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  4. Hilarious! I have often thought it would have been such a treat to meet him. Not only a genius, but a mischievous character if what I have read is correct. That sounds like a country song, BTW, Weed Whacking at Einstein's House - LOL.

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  5. I love this post! How nice to have both of your sons nearby for these conversations to happen

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    1. The fuzzy slippers Einstein photo is good, and it is great to have both sons here for conversations!

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  6. Oh my gosh, and then please -- PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE -- take a photo of Justin whacking weeds at Einstein's house WEARING THE EINSTEIN-IN-FUZZY-SLIPPERS shirt!!

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  7. I love this whole conversation and of course the photo with fuzzy slippers. Have a wonderful weekend.

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    1. Thank you! I hope to follow up at some point with the suggested photo of weed-whacking at Einstein's house while wearing an Einstein in fuzzy slippers t-shirt.

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  8. LOL! I am in Vicki's Camp... there needs to be some follow up on this post! Best thing to start my Sunday... right here! :)

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  9. Oh, YES to the photo of Justin weed-whacking over at Einstein's place wearing the t-shirt of Einstein wearing the fuzzy slippers. I love the total concept here. (And the more I learn about Einstein, the more I adore him.) :-)

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  10. You did have an interesting conversation. The photo of Einstein is great. I love folks who are comfortable being who they are. T-shirts sound like fun.

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  11. What a fun conversation, and a great photo! YES to t-shirts!!

    Also, the house looks like it's been very well-tended ... and I know it's getting the best landscape attention.

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