Einstein the catalyst

The celebrations held this year in honor of the centennial of Albert Einstein's birth will certainly bring forth lengthy discussions of his special and general theories of relativity and his contributions to quantum physics and other topics. This being so, I want to avoid what may prove to be beaten paths and to recall here instead an aspect of his work that may be overlooked in the torrent of reports and comments on his many achievements. That aspect is the effect of his style and his example on other major creative scientific figures, and, linked to this, his recognition of the merits of other people's seemingly bizarre ideas.