Thought Experiments

While reading Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson, I’m captivated by the childlike wonder with which Einstein approached what most overlook as an everyday occurrence: time.

In Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, logic and observation dictate that time is a constant, yet his theory postulates otherwise. Scientific thinkers use self-evident truths that seem reasonable but are not.

Einstein at Griffith Observatory

Einstein possessed the uncanny ability to focus on problems with singular purpose. His thought experiments allowed him to imagine beyond the principles of his time, envisioning an expansive universe that defied Newton’s laws.

Let’s examine his thinking style and how we can apply it to go beyond the confines of our daily existence.

Einstein epitomized the logical thinker. Someone who can apply that mode of thinking—about any subject, content, or problem—in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it.

Logical thinking is a thinking style within itself. It is the observation and analysis of the facts, followed by applying the following technique to those facts. Logical thinkers must first identify the problem. Symptoms of the main problem are issues that cause it. While analyzing a situation, logical thinkers must investigate every aspect possible.

Analyzing all information requires many resources, such as inductive and deductive reasoning, brainstorming, and questioning techniques. Gathering information through reading provides a vast working knowledge of: humanities, art, science, mathematics, and intuition.

One of the benefits of logical thinking is strengthening many people’s effectiveness and creating a positive attitude towards problem-solving. Scientific thinking is fact-based. When testing arguments, opinions do not follow the scientific method and are therefore neglected.

This is the preferred style of many researchers. This method relies on careful observation of human experience: the formulation of a hypothesis, experimentation, and mathematical proof when verifying a stated hypothesis.

We may never make the extraordinary contributions of Einstein, but striving to achieve a worthwhile goal in our own lives drives creativity and provides intellectual fulfillment.

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