New York ? Albert Einstein’s wife, the story goes, was asked by a reporter if she understood her husband’s general theory of relativity.

“No,” she replied. “He tries to explain it to me all the time. But I don’t think it’s essential to my happiness.”

Amen. But nearly a half-century after his death, Einstein and his ideas continue to fascinate us. And an exhibit that opened Friday at the American Museum of Natural History presents an attractive introduction to his science and life.

Organizers say that even a child of 10 or 12 can learn some science here, while others can gain an appreciation of Einstein’s influence on history. It will take an attentive child, and one who likes to learn mind-bending stuff, to pick up much of Einstein’s ideas.

Not all the exhibit is about science. Large panels of text and graphics describe Einstein’s dedication to causes like pacifism, some aspects of socialism, nuclear disarmament and a single world government. We read about his troubled family life, including a bitter divorce – after he started a love affair with his cousin :quot; that left him estranged from two sons. We see a facsimile of a letter to his wife that lists conditions under which he would agree to remain married to her.

When visitors walk near an illuminated wall, they can see an animation of their mass disturbing the entity known as space-time, the distortion Einstein said causes gravity.

The exhibition will run until Aug. 10.