Why I Stored My Bag in Einstein's Locker

A few years ago I presented at a conference in Zurich, Switzerland. The conference was held at the ETH Zurich university—which, it turns out, was where Einstein had studied as an undergraduate student. This places me in particularly good company—and is something that I never fail to mention to anybody who's willing to listen.

At first, I didn't realize that Einstein had studied there. But one day, during the conference, I saw some brochures at the information desk; these featured the iconic scientist. Captivated, I took the pamphlet and was astounded to learn that his original locker is preserved as a little museum in the university. But it is incredibly hard to find, as the place is a maze. My first attempt to find it resulted in failure. Thus, I returned to the information desk to get better directions.

I struck up conversation with the employee at the desk; she was very helpful, and agreed that the museum is a bit of a maze (i.e., she preserved my self-esteem by maintaining that, no, it wasn't may faulty way-finding ability). I was giddy at the prospect of seeing Einstein's locker. So, as a joke, I said, "Can I store my bag in Mr. Einstein's locker?" She had either heard this joke a thousand times before, or thought I was being serious. She said, "NO, YOU CANNOT STORE YOUR BAG IN THE LOCKER!"