Rare Recording captures Einstein talking about music and atomic bomb

A unique, auctioned recording presents a rare and fascinating glimpse of physicist Albert Einstein.

Although Einstein was known around the world, he was notoriously shy about advertising. There is therefore little sound evidence of his life outside the usual media spotlight. But in an informal conversation recorded more than 60 years ago, the scientist made jokes, talked about his love of music and plunged into world politics.

Recorded in 1951 on long-lived LPs at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton, New Jersey, the intriguing conversation between Einstein and his friends Jack and Frances Rosenberg has never been publicly available – until now. [6 Ways Albert Einstein Fought for Civil Rights]

On Saturday, May 4 at 12 pm ET, auctions open online on Heritage Auctions for a reel tape containing the 33-minute conversation between Einstein and his two friends. Einstein speaks English with a pronounced accent – "as expected" – and the serious topics he addresses are interspersed with laughter and jokes, according to a description of the auction list.

Einstein was known for his love of music and, in the recording, he described his love for Brahms, Schubert and Beethoven. He praised a favorite musical composition, "Violin Concerto" by Romanian composer George Enescu, stating: "In my youth, I had heard nothing better".

Heritage Auctions shared on its website a preview of the 3 minute recording presenting Einstein 's reflections on the espionage lawsuit of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg – US citizens charged in 1951 with charges. have shared classified information on nuclear weapons with the Soviet Union.

The case against the Rosenbergs was controversial, with prosecutors demanding heavy sentences for crimes that, according to many, were not supported by solid evidence, according to the Atomic Heritage Foundation. On the tape, Einstein suggested that what was happening to the Rosenbergs was "unfair" and that the actions against them were "reckless". The Rosenbergs were later convicted and sentenced to death. They were executed in 1953.

In the full recording, Einstein also expresses regret for the role he played in the development of atomic bombs in the United States, through a letter he sent to FDR in 1939.

"I think it was a great misfortune," he said, adding, "I repent a lot." Einstein then told himself that if FDR had lived, the president would never have used the atomic bomb. "I am convinced," he said.

However, Einstein thought it was good that the Russians had recently developed their own atomic bomb, declaring it "better for global welfare" if the United States was not the only country to own these terrible weapons. At the time, this prospect would probably not have been popular in America, said Live Science Don Ackerman, director of shipments to the Heritage Auctions Department of History.

A copy of the recording is in the Einstein Collection of the California Institute of Technology, but the auction offers the opportunity to own a unique interview with the renowned scientist "that is not available for the general public, "said Ackerman.

The auction for the audio tape starts at $ 3,500, and the winner will also receive a CD containing the recording, according to the Heritage Auction website.

Originally published on Science live.