London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

Birds, Bees and Physics: Breakthrough Insights Revealed in Long-Lost Letter By Albert Einstein

Birds, Bees and Physics: Breakthrough Insights Revealed in Long-Lost Letter By Albert Einstein

The letter that prompted the study was first found in 2019, after a retiree living in the United Kingdom read a published article by RMIT University, Australia, on the mathematical abilities of bees, and reached out to the scientific team to share the epistle, which Albert Einstein had addressed to her late husband Glyn Davys.

A recently-discovered letter, written by German-born mathematician and physicist Albert Einstein in 1949, sheds new light on his illuminating views on the birds, bees, and their links to physics, according to a study into the correspondence.

Einstein, one of the greatest physicists of all time, is revealed to have theorised in the letter that animals can provide vital clues about how physics work, and what makes birds and bees fly.


“Remarkably, it is clear through his writing that Einstein envisaged new discoveries could come from studying animals’ behaviours,” stated Professor Andrew Greentree, a theoretical physicist at RMIT.

The letter by Albert Einstein, validated by The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where Einstein bequeathed his notes, letters and records, was researched thoroughly by a team led by Adrian Dyer, an Associate Professor at RMIT University, Australia.

The findings, entitled “Einstein, von Frisch and the honeybee: a historical letter comes to light”, were published on 10 May in the Journal of Comparative Physiology A.

Animal Physics


The team of scientists got their hands on the historical letter in 2019, after Judith Davys had offered to share the 72-year-old letter that the Nobel Prize-winner had addressed to her late husband, England-based radar researcher Glyn Davys. The retiree had been prompted to do so after accidentally reading an article published by RMIT University that dwelt upon the mathematical abilities of bees. A year was accordingly spent investigating the document.

Einstein’s letter is a response to a question he received from Glyn Davys, who had joined the British Royal Navy in WWII and trained as an engineer, researching topics such as the use of radar to detect ships and aircraft.

Around the same time, bio-sonar sensing had been discovered in bats, prompting further research into how animals may have different senses from humans.

Bees Synchronise to Create Beehives Waves


As for what may have prompted Davys to write to the famous physicist, the team researched England’s news archives dated to 1949 to discover that Austrian-German honey bee researcher and Nobel Prize winner Karl von Frisch’s findings on bee navigation were already making the headlines. As a debate had been triggered on how bees use polarised light to navigate, it is believed this spurred Davys to write to Einstein.

While the original missive to the scientist from Davys no longer exists, it is likely to have specifically mentioned von Frisch.
In the discovered letter, Einstein responds:

“I am well acquainted with Mr. v. Frisch’s admirable investigations.”

Einstein’s deliberations on animal physics were supposedly triggered by conversations with Karl von Frisch.

Encounter of Two Great Minds


In 1933, Einstein left Germany to work at Princeton University in the United States. In April 1949, he met von Frisch as the animal sensory researcher was giving a lecture at Princeton University.

Bat


The Nobel laureate’s findings on bee navigation were already big news by that time. That year von Frisch published research detailing how honey bees find their way around by resorting to polarisation patterns of light scattered from the sky.

Shortly after the Princeton lecture, the two men shared a private meeting, which the discovered letter throws light on.

“It is thinkable that the investigation of the behaviour of migratory birds and carrier pigeons may someday lead to the understanding of some physical process which is not yet known,” reads an excerpt from Einstein’s letter.

In his letter to Davys, Einstein envisaged new discoveries could be made from studying animals’ behaviours.

“Seven decades after Einstein proposed new physics might come from animal sensory perception, we’re seeing discoveries that push our understanding about navigation and the fundamental principles of physics,” stated RMIT University Associate Professor Adrian Dyer in a press release.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
×