– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Ever seen this guy?

A total superstar of science.

That's young Albert Einstein.

And I'm sure this looks familiar.

The most famous formula in the world.

And guess what?

Einstein came up with that formula

right here in this city:

Bern in Switzerland.

A tranquil city with just under 150,000 inhabitants.

Bern lies the German-speaking part of the country.

Many people think that Zurich is the capital of Switzerland.

Not so–

Bern is the seat of the parliament and government.

Today we're exploring Bern, following in the footsteps of Albert Einstein.

Where did he live and work?

What does his signature formula mean, and why is it so famous?

And how many of these Einstein benches can be found in Bern?

Don't worry though, you don't need a physics degree for our little tour.

Albert Einstein came to Bern in 1902.

At that time, the Old Town looked almost exactly as it does today.

It's hardly changed since the 12th century and has been declared

a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Einstein, too, would have stood in front of the Minster.

At 100 meters, it's the tallest church in Switzerland.

There's another landmark here that's been a key part of the cityscape

since the Middle Ages.

Einstein probably stood right here at some point

in front of the so-called Zytglogge, the Clock Tower.

Time was something that totally fascinated him.

At the top of every hour, tourists flock to the Zytglogge tower

to watch the medieval clockwork performance.

Einstein came to Bern in search of a job.

Here, at the patent office,

he finally found a well-paid permanent position.

He was 22 years old and already had completed his physics degree.

But nobody wanted to hire him as a scientist.

At the patent office the genius had to evaluate other people's inventions.

Unfortunately, the desk he stood at and his office aren't open

to the public.

Instead, you 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.

He'd climbed these stairs every day after work.

Paul Burkhart from the Einstein Society of Bern

shows me the apartment.

Bedroom, kitchen, children's room, living room.

This was Albert Mileva and Hans' little kingdom of their own.

It had no study and yet it was in this apartment

that the famous formula was born.

Supported by his wife Mileva.

She was a mathematician, and Albert could

discuss his ideas with her, developing them further.

Then in 1905, the hour was nigh:

Einstein published not just one, but five groundbreaking articles

on light, matter and energy.

Among them was his special theory of relativity.

The formula: Energy equals mass times the speed of light squared.

From 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.

Time for a break.

My destination is a location called Altes Tramdepot.

There is also an Einstein bench here.

He looks to be about in his mid to late 20s,

I would guess, so in the age of his years in Bern.

The Altes Tramdepot scores points for its view,

its home brewed beer

and its delicious Rösti,

a thick potato pancake typically served with fried bacon.

I go for the vegetarian option, which is served with egg.

This is really good.

By the way, Einstein didn't eat meat.

But only later in life, on his doctor's advice.

When he was younger, he actually enjoyed hearty meat dishes.

Now that we've fortified ourselves, the tour continues.

Bern is really putting on a great show today.

It has a flare that feels almost Mediterranean, don't you think?

All throughout the Old Town, you'll find fountains topped

with beautiful figurines.

The water is safe for drinking.

The historic cellars here are also fascinating.

Once used for food storage,

today they house bars, restaurants and shops.

Also particular to burn are the six kilometers of arcades,

which provide wonderful shade in the summer.

I'm making a short stop at the University of Bern.

Here we find our third Einstein bench.

In 1908, Einstein rose to the rank of lecturer at the University,

working for a time there.

Then came the offers from Zurich, Berlin

and later from Princeton in the USA.

You can learn more about Einstein's life story at the Einstein Museum.

The wall of mirrors introduces you to Einstein's world of thought.

Where does light come from?

What is an original?

What is a reproduction?

What could infinity mean?

Room by room, you are taken through the stations of Einstein's biography.

His childhood in Ulm and Munich.

His Jewish family background.

His years in Switzerland, where he gradually made a name for himself

in scientific circles.

In 1914 he moved to Berlin.

At the Prussian Academy of Sciences, he was able to devote himself

entirely to his research.

He would divorce Maleva and get married again to his cousin Elsa.

As the Nazis grew ever stronger in Germany, Einstein raised his voice

against militarism and war.

In 1933, he emigrated to the USA.

Throughout his life, Einstein changed his nationality several times.

German, Swiss, Austrian, American.

At one point he was even stateless.

I call that a true citizen of the world.

He retained his Swiss citizenship until his death in 1955.

The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945

was a life changing event for him.

Einstein was deeply shaken by the scale of destruction and death.

More on that in a moment.

The museum also lets you get to know Einstein a little

as a private person.

He loved sailing and playing the violin.

He was a passionate smoker and he obviously had a sense of humour.

This photo was seen around the world.

It's more than enough material to strike up a conversation

with Alina Minda of the Einstein Museum Bern.

I've always wondered why is Einstein sticking his tongue out?

Is he making fun of me?

Fun of us?

Well, the photo is taken on Einstein's 72nd birthday in Princeton.

And right after the party, photographers were waiting for him outside the venue.

And he got annoyed with time

and instead of smiling he stuck out his tongue.

The fun thing is that he really liked this picture.

So he used it then later as a greeting card.

This museum also talks about the atomic bomb, a pretty dark topic.

In what way is Einstein's theory of relativity connected to the bomb?

The formula E=mc² says that even tiny amounts of mass

can be converted into huge amounts of energy.

So that is the principle behind nuclear fission,

which is the basis for the atomic bomb.

But Einstein himself was never directly involved in this program.

And 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.

Back then he became an even stronger advocate

for peace and disarmament.

And he kept on warning the world of the devastating power

of nuclear weapons.

Is there any peaceful use to the formula?

Well, it allows us to use nuclear energy in a peaceful way,

for example, for generating electricity.

But I think more importantly, it reminds us that every scientific

discovery can bring a lot of progress and very interesting knowledge,

but on the same time, it can also bring a lot of destruction and harm.

So I think it reminds us how scientists or science cannot be seen

deconnected from ethics or social responsibility.

In front of the Einstein Museum we find the 4th bench dedicated to the

superstar of physics.

And this is where our tour ends.

So, whose footsteps should we follow next?

Where do you want us to go?

Tell us in the comments.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
science /ˈsaɪəns/ B1	noun - the systematic study of the nature and behavior of the physical world, typically through experimentation and observation
formula /ˈfɔːmjʊlə/ B1	noun - a mathematical or scientific expression that defines or summarizes something
patent /ˈpeɪtənt/ B2	noun - a government authority or license conferring a right or title for a set period, especially the sole right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention
genius /ˈdʒiːniəs/ B1	noun - a person who is exceptionally intelligent or creative, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of new advances in a field of knowledge
relativity /ˌreləˈtɪvəti/ C1	noun - the dependence of various physical phenomena on relative motion of the observer and the observed objects, especially regarding the nature and behavior of light
mass /mæs/ C1	noun - a measure of the amount of matter in an object or quantity of inertia of that object
energy /ˈɛnərdʒi/ B2	noun - the capacity to cause change or to do work; the property possessed by bodies by virtue of which they tend to change or to cause motion in other bodies
prize /praɪz/ A2	noun - an award or reward given for achievement in a competition, game, or other endeavor
bench /bɛntʃ/ A2	noun - a long seat for several people, typically made of wood or metal
beer /bɪər/ A1	noun - an alcoholic drink made from yeast-fermented malt flavored with hops
vegetarian /ˌvɛdʒɪˈteəriən/ B1	adjective - relating to or denoting people who do not eat meat
university /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːrsəti/ A2	noun - an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research, granting academic degrees
museum /mjuˈziːəm/ B1	noun - a building in which objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interest are stored and exhibited
biography /baɪˈɒɡrəfi/ B2	noun - an account of a person's life written by someone else
bomb /bɒm/ B2	noun - an explosive weapon detonated by impact, proximity to a target, a timing mechanism, or other means
violin /ˌvaɪəˈlɪn/ B1	noun - a string instrument played with a bow, having four strings tuned at intervals of a fifth, typically in G, D, A, and E
ethics /ˈɛθɪks/ C1	noun - moral principles that govern a person's or group's behavior
progress /ˈprɒɡres/ B2	noun - forward or onward movement toward a destination
responsibility /rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪləti/ B1	noun - the state or fact of being accountable or to blame for something