Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Birds, Bees and Physics: Breakthrough Insights Revealed in Long-Lost Letter By Albert Einstein

Birds, Bees and Physics: Breakthrough Insights Revealed in Long-Lost Letter By Albert Einstein

The letter that prompted the study was first found in 2019, after a retiree living in the United Kingdom read a published article by RMIT University, Australia, on the mathematical abilities of bees, and reached out to the scientific team to share the epistle, which Albert Einstein had addressed to her late husband Glyn Davys.

A recently-discovered letter, written by German-born mathematician and physicist Albert Einstein in 1949, sheds new light on his illuminating views on the birds, bees, and their links to physics, according to a study into the correspondence.

Einstein, one of the greatest physicists of all time, is revealed to have theorised in the letter that animals can provide vital clues about how physics work, and what makes birds and bees fly.


“Remarkably, it is clear through his writing that Einstein envisaged new discoveries could come from studying animals’ behaviours,” stated Professor Andrew Greentree, a theoretical physicist at RMIT.

The letter by Albert Einstein, validated by The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where Einstein bequeathed his notes, letters and records, was researched thoroughly by a team led by Adrian Dyer, an Associate Professor at RMIT University, Australia.

The findings, entitled “Einstein, von Frisch and the honeybee: a historical letter comes to light”, were published on 10 May in the Journal of Comparative Physiology A.

Animal Physics


The team of scientists got their hands on the historical letter in 2019, after Judith Davys had offered to share the 72-year-old letter that the Nobel Prize-winner had addressed to her late husband, England-based radar researcher Glyn Davys. The retiree had been prompted to do so after accidentally reading an article published by RMIT University that dwelt upon the mathematical abilities of bees. A year was accordingly spent investigating the document.

Einstein’s letter is a response to a question he received from Glyn Davys, who had joined the British Royal Navy in WWII and trained as an engineer, researching topics such as the use of radar to detect ships and aircraft.

Around the same time, bio-sonar sensing had been discovered in bats, prompting further research into how animals may have different senses from humans.

Bees Synchronise to Create Beehives Waves


As for what may have prompted Davys to write to the famous physicist, the team researched England’s news archives dated to 1949 to discover that Austrian-German honey bee researcher and Nobel Prize winner Karl von Frisch’s findings on bee navigation were already making the headlines. As a debate had been triggered on how bees use polarised light to navigate, it is believed this spurred Davys to write to Einstein.

While the original missive to the scientist from Davys no longer exists, it is likely to have specifically mentioned von Frisch.
In the discovered letter, Einstein responds:

“I am well acquainted with Mr. v. Frisch’s admirable investigations.”

Einstein’s deliberations on animal physics were supposedly triggered by conversations with Karl von Frisch.

Encounter of Two Great Minds


In 1933, Einstein left Germany to work at Princeton University in the United States. In April 1949, he met von Frisch as the animal sensory researcher was giving a lecture at Princeton University.

Bat


The Nobel laureate’s findings on bee navigation were already big news by that time. That year von Frisch published research detailing how honey bees find their way around by resorting to polarisation patterns of light scattered from the sky.

Shortly after the Princeton lecture, the two men shared a private meeting, which the discovered letter throws light on.

“It is thinkable that the investigation of the behaviour of migratory birds and carrier pigeons may someday lead to the understanding of some physical process which is not yet known,” reads an excerpt from Einstein’s letter.

In his letter to Davys, Einstein envisaged new discoveries could be made from studying animals’ behaviours.

“Seven decades after Einstein proposed new physics might come from animal sensory perception, we’re seeing discoveries that push our understanding about navigation and the fundamental principles of physics,” stated RMIT University Associate Professor Adrian Dyer in a press release.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×