Previously on Genius...
I need help, someone to work alongside me.
Do you have someone particular in mind?
Time is not absolute.
(Besso gasps, Einstein laughs)
Holy hell.
I've devised my own principle of relativity.
It's the redefinition of the universe.
This is what we've been chasing.
You thanked Michele.
EINSTEIN: Of course I thanked him.
But I've helped you
with so many papers,
but you never thought to put my name in any of them.
It never occurred to me.
Dr. Curie.
You are to be awarded
the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Please inform the Nobel committee
that I will not accept the prize
if they do not honor my wife alongside me.
This patent clerk in Bern.
He has cited us both in his paper on...
Light quanta, yes, indeed. You see?
Einstein.
It's fascinating what one can deduce
about a man just by knowing his name.
LAUE: I'm here at the behest of Professor Max Planck.
The father of Prussian physics?
Tell me, are you working on anything else? Yes.
LAUE: Herr Einstein, it's... genius.
*
(man shouting)
Stop!
Please, stop.
(shuddering, shouts)
(door opens)
May I come in?
(door closes)
My name is Dr. Carl Jung.
I'm a friend of your father's.
Can you tell me why you wanted to hurt yourself, Eduard?
(baby crying)
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
Don't cry, little one.
When I come home, I'll play you some Mozart.
Maybe someday you'll be a beautiful violinist
like your papa.
Practice your piano, Albertli.
Later we'll play that nice minuet
you've been learning for baby Eduard.
(Eduard coughs) He doesn't sound good at all.
I can stay if you need me, Miza.
We'll be all right.
You're just nervous about your lecture.
I suppose I can't be any more boring
than fat, old Professor Pernet.
You'll do fine, Albert.
You've waited a long time for this professorship.
(door opens)
(door closes)
(clears throat)
Uh, so...
good-good morning.
Uh, I think...
Uh, yes, yes.
Newton's, uh, second law, uh, acceleration
in response to any force is, um...
Actually, let's-let's start
with his, uh, principle of-of gravity.
Um...
A-A force directly proportional to the product of two masses
and inversely proportional...
(door closes)
You all seem a bit restless.
Who'd like to join me for a walk?
MAN: Why are we walking, Herr Professor?
Because I'm a terrible lecturer,
but I'm not a bad talker.
You must have questions.
Physics tries to explain the entire universe.
Who doesn't have questions about that?
Look at the sky.
Who can tell me why it's blue?
Something to do with scattering of light?
That's what the books tell you.
But what makes the light scatter?
Believe it or not, nobody knows.
Maybe we can work it out together.
(Eduard coughing)
It's not consumption, is it?
He'll be fine.
Just a slight croup. Are you sure?
I can't lose another child. I-I couldn't bear it.
Frankly, I'm more concerned about your hysteria
than the child's cough.
I'm not hysterical. I'm tired.
Your emotional reactions are disproportionate.
Do you think it's easy
looking after two children and a husband?
May I ask,
are you having relations with your husband?
Excuse me?
It is a medical fact:
a woman's organs do not function properly
if she's not meeting her husband's needs.
(Eduard cries)
EINSTEIN: And so Mach's principle throws doubt
on Newton's explanation for the spinning bucket of water.
So does your theory, Professor.
You know my work?
I've read special relativity a dozen times,
but I have a question.
Just one? I've got hundreds myself.
(others chuckle)
Special relativity only applies to constant speeds.
What about acceleration?
That's a question I've been struggling with for years,
but, unfortunately, I'm late for an appointment.
You look handsome tonight, Babu.
Not now, Miza.
(whispering): It's okay, the children are asleep.
Please, get dressed. We're going to be late.
The last thing I want to do is paint on a smile
and chatter about the weather with strangers.
We hardly ever have any time for ourselves anymore.
Please, Miza, you look very beautiful,
but this invitation is an honor.
We cannot cancel.
Perhaps you should go without me.
As you wish.
(kisses)
Brandy
EINSTEIN: No, thank you, Dr. Jung.
It makes my thoughts fuzzy.
Ah, you like to be in control.
This is my laboratory, after all.
And this, this is mine.
It's a pity your wife isn't well, but I'm glad you're here.
I've been wanting to discuss your paper:
"Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies."
I believe your colleagues refer to it as,
uh, special relativity.
Have I said something to upset you?
(sighs)
Honestly, I-I wish I could just move beyond the damn theory.
It makes me feel like a, like a charlatan.
A charlatan?
It's, uh, it's groundbreaking.
Perhaps, but it only covers a specialized circumstance.
Speed's not always constant.
The world is spinning. That's a form of acceleration.
The theory disregards that entirely
and it says nothing at all about gravity.
The theory is still incomplete. I'm stalled.
And to make matters worse, I've been asked to lecture on it
at a conference in Salzburg.
I'm thinking about saying no.
Oh. I imagine you'd disappoint a lot of people.
I despise lecturing; it-it unnerves me.
(sighs)
I can't believe I prattled on like that.
I can have that effect on people.
With my patients, I've found
whatever's troubling them on the surface,
fear of speaking, for example,
there's something much more fascinating
lurking in the unconscious.
With respect, Doctor, I'd rather not be analyzed.
I'd prefer to remain in the dark.
(chuckles) Forgive me.
I invited you here for a chat, not analysis.
But may I offer a friendly piece of advice?
How can I refuse?
A man can't avoid his fears.
To overcome them,
he must face them, pass through the inferno.
(buzzing)
(sighs)
(elevator rumbling)
Mezzanine, please.
(elevator rumbling, thuds)
Mezzanine, sir.
MINKOWSKI: Good afternoon, Professor.
Are you feeling all right?
Professor Planck, Professor Minkowski, I...
Spit it out, Einstein.
This is no time to be tongue-tied.
You're this afternoon's headliner, after all.
(chuckles) Frankly, I never imagined
a student I once called a lazy dog
would produce something as beautiful as special relativity.
Indeed. Our colleagues have been anticipating
your lecture for weeks.
Your theory is all we talk about.
(chuckles)
(applause)
(clears throat)
I know what you are all expecting to hear, but...
today, I would like to talk to you
about something other than relativity.
(murmuring)
EINSTEIN: According to the prevailing theory, an oscillating...
...the next stage in the development of theoretical...
...and emission theories applies
to the following conjecture.
...can only assume energy...
(continues low, indistinct)
And so...
if we accept Professor Planck's constant,
it means, in short,
that much of what we thought we knew about light...
is wrong.
(clapping)
Bravo!
Brilliant, Albert.
But why on Earth didn't you lecture on relativity?
When I saw you in the front row, sir,
I-I... I had an inspiration.
You see, your work is the foundation...
Professor Einstein.
Do forgive the interruption.
Count Von Sturgkh,
Minister of Education for the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
I wanted to inform you that there is a post open
for a Professor of Theoretical Physics
at Karl-Ferdinand University in Prague.
We would be honored to add you to our faculty.
Well, I'm flattered.
I think you'll find our terms quite generous.
Limited teaching duties.
Ample time to focus on your own work.
Well, that doesn't sound too terrible, does it?
Wonderful.
One more question.
They want me to declare a religion.
What has that got to do with teaching physics?
It's called the Holy Crown for a reason, Albert.
You must at least pretend to believe in God
if you want them to hire you.
Perhaps I'm being foolish.
Why would I leave democratic Switzerland to work
for a medieval, warmongering monarchy?
Since when do you care about
the stupidities of politics? I don't.
I care about completing my theory.
Well, there's your answer.
You've been complaining about not having time.
Swallow your pride and admit you're a Jew.
A Jew? Oh, they'll love that.
*
Professor Einstein,
Von Sturgkh here tells me
you're one of the greatest minds in Europe.
He's being too kind, Your Majesty.
He also tells me you're a Jew.
Yes. (clears throat)
Well, my parents...
You understand, we are not like the Prussians.
Herr Einstein, we have no quarrel with the Jews,
as long as you are God-fearing.
Oh, I am, Your Majesty.
Terrified, actually.
EINSTEIN: I'd like to continue our work together,
so why don't you come to Prague with me, Jakob?
Maybe I could get you a position at the University.
We'd have time to work on accelerated motion.
Albert, I'm flattered,
but I've received another offer.
A professorship?
No. Assistant to Philipp Lenard.
Well, Lenard's a genius. Of course, you must accept.
Yes, but he's got a bit of a reputation.
Quite a taskmaster, apparently.
Honestly, I get a pit in my stomach just thinking about it.
I know how you feel.
In Salzburg, I was so nervous before my lecture,
I thought my heart was going to stop
right in the elevator.
Actually, I... I imagined something very strange,
as though the elevator were falling,
and I was just floating inside it.
(elevator thuds, Einstein gasps)
It was terrifying at first...
...but then, suddenly, it was as if, well...
...as if I had no weight at all.
Because a falling man does not feel his own weight.
Me,
the floor, my papers,
were all falling at the same rate,
so I couldn't feel the pressure of the floor on my feet.
But what if the elevator was rising?
I'd be accelerating
in the opposite direction.
It would produce the opposite effect.
LAUB: You'd feel the floor.
EINSTEIN: I'd be glued to it,
as I am now.
But that's gravity.
Exactly!
I should have seen it before.
It is so simple, so beautiful.
Acceleration and gravity are the same thing.
This is the idea I've been missing to complete relativity.
(chuckles) This may just be
one of the happiest thoughts of my life.
I know you've been unhappy here,
but things will be better in Prague.
Why should I be happy in a new city?
It will just be more of the same.
Wash dishes,
change diapers, buy groceries.
I might as well be a mule tied to a cart.
When do I get to use my mind?
Miza, you've had dark moods since you were a child.
It will pass.
This is not a mood, Mama!
I'm suffocating.
You should count your blessings.
There was a time I thought you would
never have a man at all.
Maybe I would have been better off without one.
How can you say that?
What about your children?
Don't listen to Mama, Eduard.
Sometimes Mama gets sad.
JUNG: People don't try to kill themselves
for no reason, Eduard.
You must be in despair about something.
Trouble with a woman,
or a disappointment at school.
I'm sorry.
Do you-do you mind if I smoke?
It reminds me of my father.
JUNG: When was the last time you saw your father?
Not for years.
Oh.
That must be, uh, difficult.
No.
No, it's not hard at all.
You see...
...I hate him.
Prague's a caste system.
Germans on top, Jews in the middle
and the poor Czechs beneath them both.
Why does anyone put up with it? It has one advantage.
They say that suffering is necessary for art.
Ah, so you're an artist.
I could claim to be a writer,
but the truth is
I work in a civil service office.
It's killing my soul.
I understand.
I worked as a clerk for many years.
Did it make you feel like a cockroach?
What an interesting metaphor.
You think so?
Professor, I see you've met Herr Kafka.
Franz is too shy to tell you, but he's published
some short stories.
They are quite modern.
I think intellect is the most fascinating part of a man.
I find Czech an interesting language.
Slavonic, but without the Cyrillic alphabet.
It must be so intimidating being married to a genius.
I'd always be afraid to say something stupid.
(whispering)
Not at all.
He's the one who's always being foolish.
(talking low)
Albert, I've got a headache. Take me home.
If it's not your hip, it's your head.
When was the last time you actually enjoyed yourself?
It's not my fault everyone in this city is rude.
They're rude?
You spent the night scowling
like a scolded child.
We don't know anyone in this city.
I thought you'd want to meet people.
Then why didn't you introduce me to anyone?
It's bad enough I'm invisible to everyone else,
then you ignore me, too.
I was simply talking with other people. Yes.
You had plenty to say to that chesty brunette.
Don't worry, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time
without me at your very important
conference in Brussels.
I'm surprised you're not attending the Solvay Conference,
Herr Professor.
I'm far too busy to take time away
for a trip to Brussels.
I'm sure your colleagues will miss you.
Schinz, this is Laub.
He's going to be working with us.
Show him the equipment, explain our procedures.
Yes, Herr Professor.
You shouldn't have asked him about Solvay.
He wasn't invited.
My God, how could I be so stupid?
Now, you must tell me about Einstein.
Is he as brilliant as everyone says?
SOMMERFELD: You are not a true gentleman, sir.
And you are not a true blonde, madam.
(mild laughter)
I must remember that one, Sommerfeld.
Isn't that Madame Curie?
SOMMERFELD: What gave her away, the dress?
Why isn't anyone talking to her?
Haven't you heard?
She's been cavorting around Paris with a married man.
Why is that anyone's business?
SOMMERFELD: It's been splashed
across the French papers for days.
It's a terrible disgrace to her late husband.
Poincaire thinks
she should be asked to leave the conference.
EINSTEIN: Excuse me.
Madame Curie.
I'm Albert Einstein.
I've heard some gossip about you.
I'm sure you have.
The rumor is...
that you're going to win another Nobel Prize.
Don't worry about them.
Their jokes are worse than their manners.
Then you'll fit right in, Herr Einstein.
MARIE: People floating weightless,
elevators flying through space.
You have the imagination of a poet, not a scientist.
You wouldn't think so if you read my poetry.
(laughs)
Let's assume you are right about acceleration and gravity.
You had better prepare yourself for tremendous resistance
from our colleagues.
You'll be murdering one of their sacred cows.
Sooner or later, they'll realize that I'm right.
Only if you can prove it.
I'd imagine the mathematics must be very complex.
If I was back in Zurich,
I'd have my friend Grossmann to help me.
But in Prague, my colleagues are all absolutely useless.
When Pierre was alive,
we had the luxury of always being there to help each other.
I once had that with my wife.
Ah, she's also a scientist.
She studied physics, yes.
And now?
(Einstein sighs)
EINSTEIN: I think, of all the mysteries in the universe,
people are the hardest for me to fathom.
But my wife is really quite brilliant.
(door opens)
Have you been with someone in Brussels?
With someone?
What... what, what do you mean?
This woman.
Did she meet you there?
(laughs softly, scoffs)
This is from that silly girl I met at that party.
Why is she writing to you in such a trifling way?
You can't possibly be jealous, Miza.
Have you been intimate with her?
Intimate? I, I have never been unfaithful to you.
How dare you! (bangs table)
You certainly don't seem interested in me anymore.
Actually, you know what, Mileva?
I was with a woman in Brussels.
You admit it.
It was your heroine, Marie Curie.
I spent hours talking to her,
told her all about you.
She even said she'd want to meet you one day.
But if she knew what a suspicious, jealous creature
you really are.
(door closes)
BESSO: Prague is even more beautiful than people say.
EINSTEIN: Prague is a like pretty girl with a cold heart.
None of my colleagues are of any use to me.
I've asked Grossmann to see
if he can help me get a position
at Zurich Polytechnic.
Does Mileva want to move again so soon?
She hates it here.
But then, I don't think she'd be happy anywhere.
Forget about gloomy topics.
What did you think of my elevator thought experiment?
Mm. I'm still up in the air about it.
(chuckles)
I've realized another wonderful consequence of my idea.
Hmm.
Gravity bends light.
That is a completely new conception, Albert.
But even if you're right,
you'd need a huge gravitational force to show it.
The sun would do, wouldn't it?
(barge whistle blowing)
Imagine that log is a particle of light.
Now think of the river as space.
And you see the barge, there?
That's the sun.
Now watch.
The sun's gravity changes the shape of space.
I will credit you for originality, Albert.
But is it possible that you've gone a bit too far?
No. It's so beautiful that it must be right.
And an astronomer could prove it.
Then I suppose you'd better find a good astronomer.
PLANCK: I do know
some astronomers at the University,
but frankly, I'm reluctant to make an introduction.
Reluctant? Why?
To be blunt, I don't know
if it's in your best interest.
How is it not in my interest to prove my theory?
It's an outlandish idea,
and you might very well be proven wrong.
I'm not wrong.
But e-even if I were, so what?
Scientists must take risks.
Otherwise we'd never make any advancements.
You've established a strong reputation for yourself.
You should tread carefully.
It's not hard to go from genius to laughingstock.
I'm staying with my aunt and uncle
while I'm in Berlin.
You can reach me there.
PAULINE: And then Albert hit her in the head
with a shovel.
(laughter)
I didn't... I didn't really.
You most certainly did... twice.
Ah, Albert,
you must try some of cousin Elsa's famous goose cracklings.
Who would have imagined such a little troublemaker
would grow up to be a great scientist?
Now if only someone would teach him what to do with a hairbrush.
(laughs)
Poor Albert, he's been so miserable in Prague.
But he's got a prestigious position there, doesn't he?
It's his wife.
He'd never admit it, but he regrets the day he married her.
It's so nice to have you in town, Albert.
The last time I saw you,
you must have been the same age as my girls.
We always had fun together.
Ah, you liked my sister better than me.
Well, she was nicer to me than you were.
(laughs softly)
Ugh. Take off your sweater.
What? Why?
You look like a tramp.
Come, give it to me.
I'll mend it for you.
JUNG: Can you tell me why you're so angry at your father?
I thought you wanted to know why I tried to jump out the window.
Yes. If you're ready to tell me.
It's not because I'm in despair.
It's because I'm crazy.
And what do you mean by "crazy"?
Mad, schizoid. It runs in my family.
My mother's sister was locked up in this very same hospital.
So you see, I wasn't trying to kill myself.
I was having a delusion.
I thought I was on fire.
EINSTEIN: Guess why it's blue.
ELSA: Because it's lonely?
Very clever, but no.
The air forms billions of tiny pockets
that scatter the light from the sun.
The blue light scatters more than the other wavelengths,
and that's why you see the blue.
That's lovely.
But I can appreciate a blue sky
without knowing anything about physics.
Why would you need to know anything about physics?
You're a sparkling conversationalist,
a wonderful cook,
a talented seamstress.
Tell me about your wife.
She went to school with you?
Yes. She wanted to be a scientist.
Oh. Is she like you?
Always thinking about big ideas?
Never remembering to take care of little things?
I have a friend, a psychiatrist,
who thinks that husbands and wives' psyches
must be in balance.
Mileva and I certainly are not.
You seem discontent.
(sighs)
Mileva's unhappy all the time.
It makes life at home unbearable.
So I find reasons to stay away.
But then I miss my children.
That must be very difficult or you.
But you know,
and I speak from experience,
not every marriage is meant to last forever.
You deserve to be happy, Albert.
Albert, wait.
I thought you might get hungry
on the journey home. I made you some butter cookies.
Wherever did you get a rose
at this time of year?
I've got connections all over the city.
Especially for lovely things like greenhouse flowers.
Speaking of connections, did I ever mention that I'm acquainted
with Fritz Haber, at the Prussian Academy?
Haber?
He's legendary.
The man who pulled nitrogen out of thin air.
I could say something to him.
The Academy would be the perfect place for you to do your work.
I can't move to Berlin, Elsa.
Why not?
You know I couldn't wait to get out of Germany
when I was a boy.
If I came back, it would only be because I want to be with you.
Is that so terrible?
I'd... I'd very much like to...
to be something to you, Elsa,
but there are other people to consider.
Mileva, of course, but most importantly,
your daughters, and my sons.
JUNG: Fire represents deep parts
of the unconscious.
It's an archetype of transformation.
I have a number of patients who...
Save your archetypal nonsense
for your paying patients.
My neuroses have nothing to do
with your, your outlandish theories,
about the collective unconscious.
I'm studying psychiatry.
And I can tell you,
my neuroses are obviously Freudian.
Freudian in what sense?
Isn't it obvious?
They're all about my father.
I don't see how a delusion about fire connects with your father.
Quite simple, really.
When I was a child, he nearly burned me to death.
One night, he was so distracted
by some scientific thought or another,
that he dropped his pipe and set fire to his bedroom.
Your memory is quite vivid.
How could I forget something like that?
You were just a baby.
It's quite young to remember so much.
Everyone in my family knows the story.
Ah.
My father never should have had children.
If it wasn't for my mother,
God knows what would have become of us.
Your father is a human being.
Human beings make mistakes.
You study the psyche, Eduard.
Be your own doctor.
What would you tell yourself?
I'd say,
when one's father is a great and heartless man,
it can make one feel...
quite worthless.
You have made your father into a kind of archetypal monster.
But are you really sure you're right?
(bucket clatters)
You let the children get hold of matches?
How could you be so careless?
So sorry. I-I don't know
what's wrong with me lately.
I don't know what's wrong with me.
I'm sorry... I'm sorry.
(Mileva crying)
It's all right, Eduard.
Everything's gonna be all right.
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
(crying)
I know you're unhappy here, Miza.
I got a letter from Marie Curie yesterday.
She's invited us to take a holiday with her in the Alps.
I think it will do us some good to get away, hmm?
(crying)
(wind whistling)
I've read all your papers.
(chuckles softly)
They're a bit dry, aren't they?
Oh, not at all.
I'm fascinated by the idea
that radium is in a perpetual process of decay.
Do you think Rutherford's theory of sub-atoms
and disintegration is accurate?
I don't know about Rutherford, but I can see
that you are just as brilliant as your husband said you are.
It seems foolish now,
but once I dreamed I might win a Nobel Prize, too.
Hmm.
But then, life and... children.
How did you do it all?
I didn't. (chuckles)
My children hardly saw me.
Now, I'm afraid they hate me.
I'm sorry.
I didn't realize.
You are very lucky, Mileva.
Your children obviously adore you.
My husband doesn't.
Not anymore.
MARIE: Mileva's got a wonderful mind.
(chuckles)
I can see why you were drawn to her.
That feels like eons ago.
Love is a chemical reaction.
Sometimes, it burns itself out.
I miss what Mileva and I had.
Don't you sometimes think that, well,
life isn't worth living without someone to love.
Perhaps you'll find someone else.
(sighs
Mileva's so fragile.
I... (sighs)
I couldn't bear to hurt my children.
I tell you something, Albert,
because I think you'll understand.
The rumors about my affair with Paul Langevin were true.
I don't feel any guilt about it; we fell in love.
So, why should we have to deny our feelings
just because of an old-fashioned social contract?
You and I don't accept all the rules and conventions
of science.
So, why must we accept traditional marriage?
ELSA: The houses held onto each other
tight that night.
And I kissed the moon and cried.
That was "Longing" by Henriette Hardenberg.
(applause)
Professor Haber, I'm so glad you could be here.
You were quite charming.
Have I ever mentioned that my cousin is Albert Einstein?
He's making quite a name for himself.
In Prague now, I believe.
Actually, he's moved back to Zurich.
But I think he's rather restless there.
A mind like his, I'm sure he'd prefer
a more stimulating scientific community.
LENARD: What is this fascination
with Einstein?
What do his so-called "thought experiments" even mean?
Where are these trains and lightning bolts he writes about?
He's the most original thinker in the world right now.
Just the kind of man we want
in the Academy. He's a dreamer,
not a rigorous scientist.
Hasn't he just taken a post in Zurich?
Yes,
but I've been told he'd prefer to do without
his lecturing obligations.
Germany needs men like him.
If I'm not mistaken,
he renounced his German citizenship many years ago.
Perhaps it's best we let the Swiss keep him.
It's good to see you again, Carl.
JUNG: I was surprised you came back to Zurich
so soon.
My wife despised Prague. But, uh, more importantly,
I'm hoping Zurich will be better for my children, healthier.
Especially little Eduard. He's... he's a bit sickly.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
But don't misunderstand me.
He's a remarkable child, amazingly bright.
He started talking much sooner than his older brother.
And he has a wonderful gift for music.
Oh. Well, he's lucky to have such a proud papa.
Oh, allow me.
(coins clink on table)
Four francs, a magical number.
You don't actually believe in magic, do you?
I am not sure about magic,
but I know that four is a very special number.
You're serious?
Indeed, four is fundamental.
There's four elements:
earth, air, fire and water; four poles of the compass;
and four poles of the psyche:
thinking, feeling, sensation and intuition.
And who knows, Albert?
Perhaps...
there is even a fourth dimension.
EDUARD: So, what's your diagnosis, Doctor?
Schizoid with delusions?
I am a friend
of the family
so, I wanted to come and see you personally,
but I think it would be more appropriate
if you worked with one of my colleagues.
Oh, I see.
As usual, a visit from an eminent man
has nothing to do with me.
It's only because of my great
and very important father.
I understand you are...
quite an admirer of Freud.
That's right. And don't try to tell me he's a charlatan,
because I'm quite sure
he's understood the human psyche better than anyone.
I once thought so, too.
In fact, he was like a father to me.
But I was young then,
my ego got in the way.
Now, we haven't spoken for...
a very long time.
I said some terrible things to him,
and I never had the humility to ask him to forgive me.
I wonder if he could.
I wonder if I could forgive him.
(footfalls receding)
(door opens, closes)
(classical music playing)
Oh, look.
Imagine what it would be like to be that little spider, Teddy.
Going round and round,
the world must look very...
very different.
My God.
MILEVA: Someone's here to see you.
Go with Mama.
Herr Professor, what an unexpected pleasure.
What-what brings you to Zurich?
Well, to begin with, I've found you an astronomer.
Name is Freundlich.
He's young, but ambitious.
You must tell me all about him, but first,
take a look at the spider on the record.
Ah.
Agelena labyrinthica, I think.
So, you know each other? (chuckles)
Ask her what's the ratio
of the diameter of the record to the circumference.
Pi, of course.
Not to the spider, it isn't.
Because of relativity, the circumference is shorter
in the direction of rotation.
I'm not sure I follow. This beautiful
little creature has given me the key
to formulating general relativity.
It cannot be done with three-dimensional geometry.
Dr. Jung made me realize Minkowski was right.
I need four dimensions.
This is wonderful, don't you see?
I hope that you'll think that this is wonderful, too.
The Prussian Academy.
It's an official offer.
My God. It's good money.
Mm.
But I don't know if I can accept.
I thought you'd be thrilled.
It's complicated. Berlin is...
Berlin is what?
I'm sorry, I need some time to consider.
It wasn't easy for us to get you this offer, Albert.
I can't very well go back to Berlin without an answer.
Why don't you take a little hike up Mount Kaferberg?
A hike?
It's a lovely view of the city. It'll take you two hours.
I'll meet you at the bottom with my answer.
Very well.
(coughs)
It's okay, Teddy.
(kisses) It's okay.
Mama is here.
Tell-tell me about the fire in Prague.
That was a long time ago.
What does it matter now?
I've always thought Papa started it.
He did, didn't he?
Eduard, you mustn't upset yourself...
Mama, please.
I want to know.
Actually...
it was my fault.
And your father was the one who put the fire out.
Well, I was having
my own bout of melancholy, just like you are now.
And wasn't paying attention and one of you boys got hold
of some matches.
Why didn't you ever tell me the truth?
I needed you to feel safe with me.
You idolized your father, Eduard.
But he was never there and I could see
how painful that was for you.
I thought it might be easier
if you didn't see him as some kind
of hero.
Tell Papa I want to see him.
Where is your father, Eduard?
(birds chirping)
*
Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH