This volume consists of a selection of Albert Einstein Memorial Lectures covering a broad spectrum of subjects in physics, chemistry, life science, mathematics, historiography and social issues. The lectures were presented by eminent scientists and scholars, including Nobel laureates.

Established in 1980 by the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, this distinguished annual memorial lecture series was inaugurated following an international symposium held in Jerusalem in March 1979 to commemorate the centenary of Albert Einstein's birth. Considering that Einstein's interests, activities and influence were not restricted to theoretical physics but spanned broad fields affecting society and the welfare of humankind, it was felt that these memorial lectures should be addressed to scientists, scholars and erudite laypersons rather than to physicists alone.