Einstein’s letter to colleague may sell for USD 18k
Boston: A signed letter, penned by German physicist Albert Einstein, inviting his colleague to tea, may fetch USD 18,000 at an auction. Written to Dr Hans Reichenbach, a colleague and important expositor of relativity, the letter suggests a clearer way of explaining one aspect of Einstein’s theory. In a postscript, Einstein invites Reichenbach and his wife to tea, noting “Schrodinger is supposed to come as well,” according US-based RR Auction. Dated October 19, 1928, the letter was written at a time when Einstein, Reichenbach, and Austrian physicist Erwin Schrodinger, were all teaching at the Humboldt University of Berlin.
“I think the logical presentation that you give of my theory is indeed possible, but it’s not the simplest one,” Einstein wrote in the letter. He then provides a list of four possibilities for “increasing specialisation regarding the distant comparison of vectors” he said.
The letter, written in German, exhibits a remarkable association between titans of modern physics, according to the auction house.
The bidding for the online auction closes in September 12. (PTI)
Buddhist grotto relics found in northwest China
Beijing: Buddhist grotto relics dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) have been discovered by Chinese archaeologists in the northwest Shaanxi Province. The discovery was made at a site in Suide County, which falls under jurisdiction of the city of Yulin. Six grottoes, made of clay, were unearthed, state run Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.
The largest has a depth of 5.7 meters. Sculptures, frescos, and stone door eaves were also found in the grottoes, according to the provincial research institute of archaeology.
These are the first clay Buddhist grotto ruins from the Ming Dynasty discovered in the province.
Hu Chunbo, a researcher at the institute, said that the new finds offer valuable materials for the study of transportation, Buddhist cultural exchanges, and tribal distribution in the middle of the Ming Dynasty. (PTI)
