I would say that passage is essential reading for anyone contemplating GR for the first time, I had no idea it was publicly available (to some extent). IMO it is rivaled only by Galileo's Ship (for Galilean/Newtonian relativity) in terms of readability and prose.pervect said:I'm rather fond of the "Parable of the Apple", which explains gravity as geodesic deviation.
jedishrfu said:and I like apples (gala / macbooks).
Very good point, I downloaded that a while ago, and I actually mentioned it (in the pub) to a friend who really is a poet (then forgot all about it). Think I'll try to persuade him to read it, then I'll have to! Only joking, I'll read it anyway, even if it fails the brevity clause ;)jedishrfu said:
OK, that may be . . . ;)Ssnow said:Sorry my intention was not to promote amazon, the title is
''Relativity: The Special and General Theory''
the author: Albert Einstein
it is simple, clear and beautiful ...
Did you read the OP?vanhees71 said:There is no way to explain the fundamental concepts of relativity (or any other part of physics) without mathematics. You can read some popular-science textbook to get an idea what the science is about, but you can't get it really explained.
Yep, very nice, but that's math (and not too simple math, I'd say). Many popular-science books say on there cover that they don't use math. That's honest and very nice, because you don't need to waste you time reading them. What one should really do is to try to use as simple math as possible, say at the high-school level, to explain relativity, and that's possible. Already the first part of Einstein's famous paper of 1905 is entirely understandable with some high-school math. One of the best books ever written in this spirit ism4r35n357 said:Did you read the OP?
Well now you have me a little puzzled as neither piece I mentioned contains any maths . . .vanhees71 said:Yep, very nice, but that's math (and not too simple math, I'd say).
Relativity is a theory in physics that explains the relationship between space and time. It was first developed by Albert Einstein in the early 20th century.
Relativity is a fundamental concept in modern physics and is essential for understanding many phenomena such as gravity and the behavior of objects at high speeds. It has also led to advancements in technology, such as GPS systems.
Classical physics is based on the laws of motion and gravity described by Isaac Newton, while relativity takes into account the effects of gravity on the fabric of space-time. Relativity also introduces the concept of time dilation, where time can appear to move slower for objects moving at high speeds.
Yes, there are two types of relativity: special relativity and general relativity. Special relativity deals with the relationship between space and time in the absence of gravity, while general relativity includes the effects of gravity.
While a basic understanding of physics can be helpful, many introductory texts on relativity are designed for beginners and do not require a deep understanding of physics. With patience and an open mind, anyone can learn about relativity.