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Einstein, Darwin spread the word
27/10/2005 13:59 - (SA)
Paris - Einstein and Darwin were not only two of mankind's biggest geniuses, they were also two big letter writers who sent (and received) thousands and thousands of missives in their respective lifetimes, according to a study in the British science weekly Nature.
Charles Darwin (born 1809, died 1882) sent 7 591 letters to colleagues and received 6 530 in his time - a true feat of correspondence for the father of the theory of evolution.
But everything is relative, as Albert Einstein (1879-1955) showed.
The man dubbed the greatest scientist of the 20th century surpassed Darwin's output, penning more than 14 500 letters to colleagues and reading 16 200, the study by academics from the universities of Notre Dame in the US state of Indiana and Aveiro of Portugal said.
Unsurprisingly, the flood of mail to and from their desks grew after they each won fame for their theories, although Einstein was forced to drop back somewhat during World War II.
On average, the researchers said, Einstein wrote one letter for each day of his life, while Darwin dashed off one every day and a half, and both generally responded to a letter within 10 days of receiving it.
- AFP
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