Questions about General Relativity (GR) - Andrew

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of general relativity (GR), specifically focusing on the nature of spacetime and how time can be warped in addition to space. Participants are exploring foundational ideas in GR, aiming to clarify these concepts for a presentation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Andrew expresses confusion about how time is warped in general relativity, despite understanding the warping of space.
  • One participant suggests looking at resources and previous discussions to prepare for the presentation.
  • Another participant mentions a specific book, "General Relativity from A to B" by Geroch, as a helpful resource for understanding spacetime warping.
  • Several participants acknowledge their own confusion regarding the warping of time, indicating a shared uncertainty on the topic.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the confusion surrounding the concept of time warping in general relativity, with no consensus on a clear explanation or understanding of the phenomenon.

Contextual Notes

Participants have varying levels of familiarity with general relativity, and there are indications of missing assumptions or definitions regarding the nature of spacetime and its warping.

Areid45
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Hello all,
I, by no means, fully understand general relativity. I was wondering if one of you experts could help me clarify some things, as I am giving a presentation to my class on GR next monday. We are in a somewhat basic physics class, so I really just need to get the idea across. From my understanding, the basic idea of GR is that matter/energy warp what is called "space-time." My question is... if space time is a combination of space and time, then how is time warped? I understand how space is warped and this explains why our planets are in orbit, but how is time warped?

Thank you in advance for the response.

-Andrew
 
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How to prepare an introductory talk on GR?

Hi, Andrew,

Did you see the very recent thread offering advice to an AP physics student who was also preparing at the last minute for a talk?

What we suggested to him would also be good advice for you, I think. First, try to find what resources you can obtain ASAP (see the website in my sig), then decide what you will try to convey. Then study your sources and write your talk.
 
Last edited:
I just read that, I am surprised I missed it when I glanced through the topics. I've checked out a few books on Einstein and General Relativity. I am still a bit confused on how time can be warped.
 
How spacetime can be warped. Geroch, General Relativity from A to B should be perfect for you.
 
Thank you so much.
 

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