In this second episode of "Genius," the focus is on the young science student who would appear to find his soul mate while attending the Polytechnic Institute of Zurich, Switzerland.
Actress Samantha Colley is outstanding in the role of Mileva Maric, a brilliant student of mathematics and physics. Born in Serbia at the time of decline of the Austro-Hungarian empire, she attended male-dominated schools as the only female in the programs. The film makes clear that it was only in the more open-minded climate of Switzerland that she could even be admitted for a course of advanced study. At Heidelberg in Germany, she was only permitted to audit classes. But she was a full-fledged student in Zurich. It was there that she fatefully met Albert Einstein.
This program explores the true nature of genius through the lens of the relationship of Mileva and young Einstein. Mileva was committed to attending lectures and adhering to convention. By contrast, Einstein was a maverick who had little interest in much of the curriculum. While he passed his exams, his true passion was individual study and reflection on the specialized areas that interested him. Some of the most memorable moments of the program are those in which Einstein is openly contemptuous of his professors and longstanding academic traditions of decorum.
He also appears contemptuous of contemporary mores in matters of the heart. His callous treatment of his fiancée, Marie Winteler, is matched by his equally insensitive communications with Mileva, as he fails to inform her of the young woman to whom he has nominally been engaged. Neither did he draw upon his scientific acumen in matters of birth control. By the end of the episode, we learn that Mileva is on the receiving end of an unplanned pregnancy, courtesy of Albert Einstein.
Actress Samantha Colley is outstanding in the role of Mileva Maric, a brilliant student of mathematics and physics. Born in Serbia at the time of decline of the Austro-Hungarian empire, she attended male-dominated schools as the only female in the programs. The film makes clear that it was only in the more open-minded climate of Switzerland that she could even be admitted for a course of advanced study. At Heidelberg in Germany, she was only permitted to audit classes. But she was a full-fledged student in Zurich. It was there that she fatefully met Albert Einstein.
This program explores the true nature of genius through the lens of the relationship of Mileva and young Einstein. Mileva was committed to attending lectures and adhering to convention. By contrast, Einstein was a maverick who had little interest in much of the curriculum. While he passed his exams, his true passion was individual study and reflection on the specialized areas that interested him. Some of the most memorable moments of the program are those in which Einstein is openly contemptuous of his professors and longstanding academic traditions of decorum.
He also appears contemptuous of contemporary mores in matters of the heart. His callous treatment of his fiancée, Marie Winteler, is matched by his equally insensitive communications with Mileva, as he fails to inform her of the young woman to whom he has nominally been engaged. Neither did he draw upon his scientific acumen in matters of birth control. By the end of the episode, we learn that Mileva is on the receiving end of an unplanned pregnancy, courtesy of Albert Einstein.
