Einstein's Theory of Relativity Clarified

A recent interview with aviation exec Kristen Einstein calls her "the great-grandniece of Albert Einstein (yes, the Albert Einstein)."

So how are you related to Albert Einstein?

He's my grandfather's father's brother. We had a family tree done and all that. My brother is the last male, and I'm the last female right now.

Really? In the whole family?

Yeah.

What kind of a reaction do you get when they find out you're actually related?

People will say, "No way!" I wouldn't make up someone who I'm related to!

A clarification from her father, Dennis Einstein, was published the next day.

He ... said that while he is a descendant of Albert Einstein, the connection is more distant than what his daughter stated. Kristen Einstein said she had repeated what another family member had told her about the connection. [Link, via Regret the Error]

Genius Genealogy

Albert Einstein's great-grandson is blogging at The Public Life of Charly Einstein. So, what's it like being descended from Time Magazine's Person of the Century?

Well frankly it is nothing special! At least it doesn’t feel all too special to me. From my experience people are rather disappointed by this. Of course it is special to be able to read about your own family in countless amounts of books (although the vast majority of authors about Albert Einstein seem to glorify my great-grandfather beyond a healthy sense for realism…). Generally the people I meet see in Albert Einstein a super-hero of the 20th century if not mankind. He seems to perfectly fulfill the public and individual desire for a super-natural being that stands above us morally and in any other way. Sometimes it appears to me that people think he is some kind of God. Therefore it feels like many look upon me as if I was a great-grandson of God. To be honest that is an extremely weird and alien feeling to me. [Link]