Einstein's Oxford Blackboard: A Unique Historical Artefact

TL;DR

Einstein's Oxford blackboard showcases a historic 1931 universe model and offers insights into Einstein's calculations, serving as a valuable visual and historical artifact in cosmology.

Contribution

This paper highlights the significance of Einstein's blackboard as a unique historical artifact that encapsulates his 1931 universe model and reveals calculation anomalies.

Findings

Blackboard depicts Einstein's 1931 expanding universe model

One line on the blackboard illuminates calculation anomalies

Provides historical context for early cosmological theories

Abstract

Einstein's blackboard is a well-known exhibit at the History of Science Museum at Oxford University. However, it is much less well known that the writing on the board provides a neat summary of a work of historic importance, Einstein's 1931 model of the expanding universe. As a visual representation of one of the earliest models of the universe to be proposed in the wake of Hubble's observations of the nebulae, the blackboard provides an intriguing snapshot of a key moment in modern astronomy and cosmology. In addition, one line on the blackboard that is not in Einstein's 1931 paper casts useful light on some anomalies in the calculations of that paper.