Einstein's Nobel Prize Wasn't for Relativity

Most people associate Albert Einstein's name with his groundbreaking general theory of relativity.

We picture E=mc2, the iconic formula denoting the equivalence of mass (m) and energy (E).

But ironically, he didn't receive the Nobel Prize for this revolutionary scientific discovery.

Instead, Einstein was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics 'for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect'.

This phenomenon, integral to the quantum revolution, involves the emission of electrons or other free carriers when light is shone onto a material.

It's foundational to today's quantum technologies including solar panels and digital cameras.

Thus, while Einstein's theory of relativity has had far-reaching implications for our understanding of the universe, his Nobel Prize came from an area often overlooked but equally significant in our daily lives..