Albert Einstein’s letter to young boy who had questions about space being auctioned off

By Lauren Beavis via SWNS

A letter written by Albert Einstein to a young boy and future scientist in 1928 answering questions about space is up for auction.

The minimum bid for the exceptional letter, on auction with Nate D. Sanders Auctions in Los Angeles, is starting at £19,660 ($25,000).

In the letter, sent from Berlin to Los Angeles, Einstein responds to 12-year-old Arthur L. Cohen about the laws of motion as they relate to his theories of relativity, and the question of whether space exists outside our universe.

According to Cohen's son, Phil, the Los Angeles resident was very passionate about science at that stage in his life and felt that one part of the scientific method is to ask good questions.

Cohen therefore believed that a good scientist such as Einstein allows time and thought for these questions without concern for the questioner's social or economic status.

The young boy sent Einstein a letter posing questions on the scientist's theory of relativity and went on to found Washington State University's Electron Microscope Center.

Signed "A. Einstein" in black fountain pain and composed on Einstein's personal stationary, Einstein's letter in response reads: "My dear boy / In your article, you state quite correctly that we are able to experience and imagine motion solely as relative motion.

"The ancients had already known this very well, and even the many opponents of the theory of relativity have had to concede it.

"Up until the establishment of the general theory of relativity, however, the concept of absolute motion had seemed to be necessary for the formulation of the laws of motion.

"Disproving this has been the problem of the theory of relativity.

"Your question, how the world might be constituted if it were to contain only one body, cannot be answered conclusively at present.

"We do not know, you see, whether there might be any space beyond this body. We do know, however, that speaking of its motion would be preposterous.

"But for you it would be better if you began to teach others only after you have learned something useful yourself.

"With kindest regards, [signed] A. Einstein.''

The letter measures 8.5" x 11", it has chipping at edges, folds and creasing but it has been marked in "good plus condition".

Interested bidders may participate in the auction online.