Ann Katz Festival of Books and Arts

The Einstein Effect with Benyamin Cohen

The next time you have a pizza delivered to your home, thank Einstein.

Albert Einstein was the first modern-day celebrity and, decades after his death, still has the world's most recognizable face. His influence is seen in much of the technology we use every day: GPS, remote controls, weather forecasts, even toothpaste. But it's not just his scientific discoveries that continue to shape our world. His legacy underpins the search for aliens, the rescue of refugees, the invention of time machines and the debunking of fake news. He appears in new books, TV shows and movies - and fans are paying millions for Einstein relics at auction.

Award - winning author and journalist Benyamin Cohen has a bizarre side hustle as the manager of Einstein's official social media accounts, which have 20 million followers - more than most living celebrities. (Einstein has more Facebook fans than Tom Hanks!) He embarks on a global quest to unearth Einstein ongoing relevance today. Along the way, he meets scientists and celebrities, speaks to dozens with the last name Einstein (including two rabbis), and even tracks down the brain of Einstein, stolen from his body during the autopsy. Cohen shows us the myriad ways the Nobel Prize winner's influence is still with us, giving an in-depth - and often hilarious - look at the world's favorite genius like you've never seen him before. Benyamin Cohen will be interviewed by Max Newman. This is a Jewish Book Council Program.

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