Einstein's Predictions and the Role of Thought Experiments in Relativity

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hello, could you tell me Einstein's predictions based on relativity before evidence was available to support it. And what is the relationship between theory and evidence to support a theory?

thank you
 
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One prediction was the time-dialation predicted by special relativity. This was confirmed when an experiment was made whereby two airplanes few in opposite directions (one west, and one east) and the time shown by the synchronized clocks differed by a small amount.

Another prediction was the bending of light by gravity (gravitational lensing), this was famously confirmed by the observation of distant stars and galaxies during a solar eclipse (the image showed those galaxies to be somewhere slightly different from where they were predicted to be, due to the curving of light around the Sun).
 
thank you very much

could you mention Einstein's thought experiements such as, the train traveling at the speed of light?
would the thought experiements be considered as a prediction on relativity?