D O C U M E N T S 4 0 6 , 4 0 7 D E C E M B E R 1 9 2 4 4 0 3
1 kg matter equals
3×1017
stat. un., the ¢rec² precision available today of stat.
units is quite nice already. I ask myself whether there is any experimentally deter-
mined value that we know to such a precision!?
In wishing you a very pleasant vacation, I remain, very respectfully yours,
A. Piccard
Address until 6 Jan. 1925: c/o Prof. I. Piccard,[10] 18 Bernoulli Street, Basel.
406. To Louise and Maria Julius[1]
[Berlin,] 28 December 1924
Dear friends,
Extraordinary that Einstein, who otherwise only tends to show up like a shooting
star, is writing! It’s not at all in order to send you good wishes for 1925, either,
which I hereby do anyway. It rather concerns a serious business matter, so to speak.
So, listen:
The university’s jubilee festivities will be on February 9th in Leyden[2] and I am
proudly entitled to two ladies’ tickets. Who would want to miss exercising such a
right? Therefore I’m asking if you want the tickets. Write immediately to Mr. De
Sitter in reply,[3] who will otherwise give the tickets away to other people’s friends.
To a happy reunion on this occasion in February!
Cordial greetings to you and your dear parents, yours,
Einstein.
407. To Auguste Piccard
[Berlin,] 28 December 1924
Dear Mr. Piccard,
I admire your perseverance and am delighted about your achievement.[1] You are
entirely right to strive after the highest precision. For it actually is thoughtlessness
to believe a priori that protons and electrons would have the same charge. If it turns
out that the internally neutral matter doesn’t have a charge of the order of magni-
tude of ,[2] then this negative result is also of great interest. It doesn’t matter
if a hope has to be buried; it has plenty of good company. I find your new method
1
10
- ±-----
m κ