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Mazy's Muddle: Autographs that actually helped the poor

Last Updated 31 May 2012, 14:40 IST

Hi, do you like writing essays? No? Do you like writing answers in Social Studies class?

No? Do you like writing your own name in different ways, especially on the back of a notebook? Yes? Ah, so do I! I’ve been trying to sign my name in different ways and this month I’ve decided to choose one of those as my signature.

It should be stylish, smart, but others should not be able to copy it, that’s what I have to make sure of. Because you see, who knows, anyone can become famous some day and be asked to give autographs to all one’s fans!

Most of us imagine scientists, especially famous scientists, to be working away like mad men and women in cluttered laboratories with gases spewing and liquids bubbling and their minds totally immune to whatever is happening in the outside world.

But that wasn’t true for Albert Einstein. In 1930, the famous physicist sold his autograph for $3 a signature, and autographed photographs of himself for $5 each.

He raised this money to help the poor people who were starving in Berlin, Germany, his home country which he had to leave. He later settled down in America. We don’t know how much he raised, but suppose he made $80 in an hour, how many signatures and how photographs could he have autographed in an hour?

Out of the maze: There can be many answers to this one: 5 signatures and 13 photographs, 10 signatures and 10 photographs, or 20 signatures and 4 photographs......go on, I’m sure you can find more combinations!

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(Published 31 May 2012, 14:40 IST)

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