100 Years of General Relativity

In summary, a concise and informative history of general relativity has been posted on the physics ArXiv by George Ellis, an established expert in the field. The September issue of Scientific American is also dedicated to the 100th anniversary of general relativity. Borg brought this to our attention and the entire Ellis text can be downloaded for free.
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Garth
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A useful and concise (36 pages) history of the development and use of GR by one of the established experts in the field is posted today on the physics ArXiv : 100 Years of General Relativity by George Ellis.

Garth
 
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The entire September issue of Scientific American is also dedicated to the anniversary also.
 
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Thank you Borg for bringing that to our attention.

The entire Ellis text can be downloaded for free...

Garth
 
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Garth said:
Thank you Borg for bringing that to our attention.

The entire Ellis text can be downloaded for free...

Garth
You're welcome. I just finished reading it yesterday and the articles were enjoyable.
 

1. What is General Relativity?

General Relativity is a theory of gravity proposed by Albert Einstein in 1915. It explains how massive objects interact with one another and how gravity affects the fabric of space and time. According to this theory, gravity is not a force between masses, but rather a curvature of space and time caused by the presence of mass and energy.

2. What is the significance of "100 Years of General Relativity"?

2015 marked the 100th anniversary of the publication of Einstein's theory of General Relativity. This theory revolutionized our understanding of gravity and has been confirmed through numerous experiments and observations. It also laid the foundation for many modern technologies, such as GPS and black hole detection.

3. How does General Relativity differ from Newton's theory of gravity?

While Newton's theory of gravity treats gravity as a force between masses, General Relativity explains gravity as a curvature of space and time. Additionally, General Relativity predicts that gravity can also affect the path of light, while Newton's theory does not account for this effect.

4. What are some of the key predictions of General Relativity?

Some of the key predictions of General Relativity include the bending of light in the presence of a massive object, the existence of black holes, and the expansion of the universe. It also predicts the existence of gravitational waves, which were recently detected for the first time in 2015.

5. How has General Relativity been confirmed?

General Relativity has been confirmed through various experiments and observations, such as the bending of starlight during a solar eclipse, the precession of Mercury's orbit, and the observations of gravitational lensing. It has also been tested and validated through mathematical calculations and computer simulations.

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