Albert Einstein was an international pop star of science who urged the US government to build an atom bomb. Naomi Alderman gets into one of the most famous brains of all time.

Einstein rewrote our understanding of universe. He imagined hitching a ride on a light beam and pursued his famous 'thought experiments' to remarkable ends. He was a man who never swam with the tide. Despite a lifelong commitment to pacifism, in 1939, Einstein signed a letter urging the US government to speed up work on the development of a nuclear bomb. Naomi finds out why.

Special thanks to Janna Levin, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University.

Produced by BBC Studios Audio in partnership with The Open University.

Presenter: Naomi Alderman
Executive editor: Philip Sellars
Series producer: Sarah Goodman
Script editor: Sara Joyner
Researchers: Harry Burton and Miriam O'Byrne
Production coordinator: Amelia Paul