Albert
Einstein: the same man that brought you the photoelectric effect and that
famous theory of relativity can now hang out on your wall! You're probably
asking yourself why in the world you would need this picture of this genius on
your wall. The question of why you can even buy posters of Albert Einstein in
the first place should probably be your first question. Sure, the man was a
genius and revolutionized scientific thought and theory in the 20th century.
But, why put him on your wall? There's the inspiration in "Well, if that
guy can figure out the theory of relativity, I can surely do my algebra
assignment," or the depression in "I will never amount to anything
close to him, so I'll go watch terrible reality TV instead of doing my homework."
The truth lies in society’s views of Albert Einstein. He has bridged the gap
between faceless scientist and most recognized face (and hair) of all time. His
photogenic coiffure has allowed him to retain and grow his fame well beyond his
death. If you look at any cartoon image of a scientist these days (especially a
mad one), he is very likely to have Einstein-esque hair. But, why? Because in
today’s media culture, we have been conditioned to connect the two ideas
together: crazy, genius scientist=Einstein. When we see Einstein, we automatically
relate whatever we’re viewing with that idea, giving the idea more credibility
in one way or another. If you’ve seen the “Think Different” poster series from
Apple made in 1997, you can see an example of this. By connecting Apple to a
series of people considered to be revolutionaries, including Einstein, Apple
gained credibility for being a company that “thought different.” By connecting
itself to Einstein, a company, idea, or anything else can gain the credibility
of Einstein, and collectively, the scientific community.
