Einstein's Compass

Gazing into the dark entryway, Albert saw an engraved metal sign, “No Entrance”. But the open door beckoned and he stepped over the threshold. Once inside, the door slowly swung shut. Albert reached out and pulled the gargoyle shaped wrought iron handle, but the door seemed firmly closed. He began to struggle with the door, but the tick…tock…tick…tock of the clock’s inner workings caught his attention and he stopped tugging. “What could be inside this magnificent timepiece?” he wondered, as the possibilities began running around in his mind.

Following the internal beating of the Clock Tower’s heart, Albert moved toward a spiral staircase. The only light in the hallway came from high above him. Tick…Tock…Tick…Tock. Albert stepped to the beat of the clock and round and round he rose. Time seemed to stand still as he climbed. He stopped at the top of the steps, then the shining light drew him to a massive, carved, wooden door and Albert approached it.

The door was partially opened and, peering into the room, Albert’s gaze landed on a large mahogany desk. Then Albert noticed the man seated at the desk. He looked to be around 50 years of age and had soft, silver, shoulder length hair. He was dressed in a white, long-sleeved peasant shirt and dark brown leather breeches. Arrayed on the desk in front of him were quill pens with pots of ink, stacks of paper and, on the right corner of the desk, an apple. The entire back wall of the room was lined with shelves stocked with ancient-looking volumes and a number of brass candlesticks holding candles that cast a soft glow into the room. In the ceiling of the room was some sort of skylight through which a beam of sunlight streamed.

The man at the desk held a triangular shaped crystal up to the beam of light and the refracted light of the polished crystal threw a rainbow of colors onto the wall. The man smiled with satisfaction.

Albert saw the rainbow and murmured to himself, “Sir Isaac Newton’s theory is that white light is a composite of all the colors of the spectrum.”

The man looked up from the rainbows and smiled at Albert. “Well said Albert, so glad you made your way in here to visit.” Albert’s jaw dropped. “How did you…?” The man held up his hand and smiled. “All in good time, my boy.” He rose from his chair and walked to Albert, holding out his hand. “My name is Isaac. And, please, sit down.” Speechless Albert stumbled into a chair in front of the desk as Isaac returned to his seat.

“I know who you are Albert,” Isaac said with a kind smile. “You must not concern yourself too deeply with what you are learning now. You have grasped The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Let that be the foundation of your work that is to come.” Isaac picked up the apple on his desk and gently tossed it to Albert. “Gravity, the universe, space, distance, and motion are your future.” Catching the apple, Albert nodded as the ticking of the massive clock pulled at his awareness. Tick...tock…tick…tock….

Tick…tock…Ringgggggggg. The alarm clock next to Albert’s bed screamed at him. Albert sat bolt upright and struggled to reorient himself. Vacillating between the dream and waking reality, Albert let himself fall back onto his pillow. He turned his head to see what time it was. There on the table next to the alarm clock, sat an apple. “What the…?” Albert groaned.