Knollwood Camp is one of the “great camps” of the Adirondacks, and Einstein spent many summers there in Cottage #6. The description of Knollwood is accurate: six cottages and a boathouse situated on the lake and at the bottom of a long, dirt driveway that ends in a turnaround in front of Cottage #1. The log cottages, each three stories, were constructed in 1900 by six wealthy Jewish families who were excluded from New York City clubs because of antisemitism. All but one are still owned by descendants of the original owners.
In 1945, Cottage #2 was owned by David Hays Sulzberger, the brother of the New York Times publisher Arthur Hays Sulzberger. According to Einstein’s private secretary Helen Dukas, after the bombing of Hiroshima, Arthur Sulzberger called repeatedly, asking for a statement from Einstein. He did not get one. In addition, a Times reporter who was a guest at Cottage #2 on August 6, 1945 went over to Einstein’s cottage for a statement, but was rebuffed.
In 2021, Cottage #2 remained in the Sulzberger family, owned by David’s daughter Ann and her family.
Einstein loved to sail, and sailed often on Lower Saranac Lake. He would also take his boat through the connection to Lake Flower, which abuts the town of Saranac Lake.
Einstein could not swim, and his boat occasionally capsized. One story is that he capsized in 1941 and was rescued by ten-year old Saranac Lake resident Don Duso, who was on a motorboat near Einstein when he went under.
Fern Island is a small island on Lower Saranac Lake, a short boat ride away from Knollwood.
The Point is a former Rockefeller home that was turned into a hotel, and is located on Upper Saranac Lake.
Ironman Lake Plaid is one of the longest-running Ironman events in North America. The swim is held in Mirror Lake, next to Lake Placid.
Einstein was truly troubled by atomic weapons and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The quote from his speech at the Fifth Nobel Anniversary Dinner was accurate and appeared in the diary of Johanna Fantova (see below). The description of articles appearing in Time and Life magazine were also accurately portrayed.
The events surrounding Leo Szilard’s visit with Einstein were accurately portrayed. Szilard visited Einstein in Long Island, New York in July 1939 and explained the possibility of atomic weapons and their potential danger. Einstein did in fact reply: “I never thought of that.”
Einstein signed a letter, at Szilard’s suggestion, to President Roosevelt informing him about the possibility of an atomic bomb, its potential lethality, and Nazi advancements. Einstein urged the president to have the American government take action. This led to the Manhattan Project and the development of America’s first atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Einstein was a passionate supporter of the so-called One World philosophy, which envisioned a world government with a monopoly on military power. Einstein supported this idea even before World War II. He did not believe that the League of Nations or the United Nations met the criteria needed to keep world peace. Einstein made his views on the One World philosophy known multiple times, including a lengthy article in the Atlantic magazine titled “Atomic War or Peace” (November 1947).
The portrayal of the Institute for Advanced study was accurate, as was the description of its early members (Einstein, von Neumann, Weyl, Gödel) and the Institute’s hands-off policies regarding member research.
Everything said about Gödel was accurate: his Incompleteness Theorems; emigration to America and arrival at Princeton and the Institute; long walks with Einstein with secret conversations; citizenship exam story; 1946 events when he became a permanent member, added physics, and stopped publishing; his 1947 Gödel Metric, which was presented as birthday gift to Einstein, who did not favor the time travel conclusion.
McCarthyism and the Red Scare of the early 1950s was accurately portrayed. Lord Acton’s “power corrupts” statement was accurately quoted.
The Fantova Sketch is housed at the Historical Society of Princeton. It is Einstein’s only known self-portrait, and was gifted to the Historical Society by Gillett Griffin who received it from Johanna Fantova, who had earlier received it from Einstein. Fantova did tell Griffin that she ‘thought he would like the design,’ and that was relayed by Griffin to the Historical Society when he made his gift.
Gillett Griffin did receive many items from Einstein, some of which were donated to the Historical Society. Einstein’s furniture was also donated to the Historical Society by the Institute for Advanced Study.
Johanna Fantova’s diary is held at Princeton University’s Firestone Library. It was discovered in her personnel files during preparation for a Princeton historical couples publication series. The various quotes from the diary are accurate.
The following elements of the Caesar theory are true: Bernhard’s trips to visit Albert in Saranac Lake; Einstein’s bequest of his personal violin “Lina” to Bernhard; Bernhard’s middle name “Caesar;” Oscar Steger’s violin for Einstein; and Bernhard’s son Paul Michael being a violinist who resides in France.
Johanna Fantova and Gillett Griffin has priviledged access to Einstein at his home at 112 Mercer Street. The description of the home is accurate.
Einstein’s four 1904 papers are accurately portrayed, including his mass-energy equivalence paper and his theory of special relativity. His 1915 paper on general relativity is also accurately portrayed.
Einstein’s long and unsuccessful search for a unified field theory is accurately portrayed, as was his belief that all energy and matter are derived from fields.
The press release of July 28, 2021 is accurate, as was the description of the first-ever ”reverse conversion” experiment done in a single-step process.
Attribution is given to Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, z”l, for his marvelous interpretation of Genesis Chapters 3 to 11, which appear in his extraordinary book ”Covenant and Conversation: Genesis: The Book of Beginnings” (Maggid, September 1, 2009). Rabbi Sacks also expounds on the relationship between science and religion in another of his must-read books: “The Great Partnership: Science, Religion, and the Search for Meaning” (Shocken, September 11, 2012).
Einstein’s memorabilia in Liz Heller’s home. Each of the pieces is described accurately, and all were purchased at auction by an anonymous bidder on the dates stated.
California v. Fernandez (571 U.S. 292) is accurately portrayed.
