Moe Berg featured in Episode Nine of “Genius” Series about Albert Einstein
National Geographic’s 10-episode first season of “Genius” was a fascinating series on Albert Einstein’s life, based on Walter Isaacson’s book Einstein: His Life and Universe. The show aired its finale on June 20th and includes scenes with Berg’s dangerous assignment in the OSS during World War II.
Episode nine opens with Berg receiving a gun and cyanide pill with instructions to listen to Heisenberg’s lecture at the Zurich Polytechnic Institute in Switzerland. He’s told specifically to listen for words and phrases like, “heavy water, plutonium and fast fission.” “If anything he says leads you to believe he’s developing an atomic bomb,” Berg’s told, “Kill him!”
Later, Einstein is listening to a broadcast of a Red Sox game at Fenway Park in 1939 and Moe Berg is referred to as “Einstein in knickers” because he’s the most intelligent of all the baseball players.
Berg’s final scene is in December 1944, as he listens to Heisenberg’s lecture and walks with the German physicist afterwards over cobblestone streets.
While not portrayed in the “Genius” series, Berg did meet Einstein after the war. In Nicholas Dawidoff’s book, The Catcher was a Spy the meeting is described: “Mr. Berg, exclaimed the scientist, “you teach me baseball, and I’ll teach you mathematics.” He paused a moment and added, “But let’s forget it. I’m sure you’d learn mathematics faster than I’d learn baseball.”
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