The theory of relativity and modernism

I had never really thought of Einstein as a part of the modernist period before. but when i saw his name on the list of people i was really excited. His theory of relativity is something that i have always wanted to better understand and this was an excellent opportunity for me to gain an understanding of the basics of his theories. I will show three websites that i found useful in understanding Einstein's theory of relativity, and His place within the context of modernism.



1. All About Science: this is a basic summary of the theory of relativity. I learned that the theory of relativity can be separated into two parts as follows:
-The first is the Special Theory of Relativity, which essentially deals with the question of whether rest and motion are relative or absolute, and with the consequences of Einstein’s conjecture that they are relative.


-The second is the General Theory of Relativity, which primarily applies to particles as they accelerate, particularly due to gravitation, and acts as a radical revision of Newton’s theory, predicting important new results for fast-moving and/or very massive bodies. The General Theory of Relativity correctly reproduces all validated predictions of Newton’s theory, but expands on our understanding of some of the key principles. Newtonian physics had previously hypothesised that gravity operated through empty space, but the theory lacked explanatory power as far as how the distance and mass of a given object could be transmitted through space. General relativity irons out this paradox, for it shows that objects continue to move in a straight line in space-time, but we observe the motion as acceleration because of the curved nature of space-time.

Okay so that is the basic idea but what was most fascinating about this website to me was how it dealt with the theological implications:

"The General Theory of Relativity demonstrates that time is linked, or related, to matter and space, and thus the dimensions of time, space, and matter constitute what we would call a continuum. They must come into being at precisely the same instant. Time itself cannot exist in the absence of matter and space. From this, we can infer that the uncaused first cause must exist outside of the four dimensions of space and time, and possess eternal, personal, and intelligent qualities in order to possess the capabilities of intentionally space, matter -- and indeed even time itself -- into being."

I think this will be especially exciting for a community such as our own where science and religion are both important sources of truth.

2. Short words to explain relativity: the above summary was good but i wanted an even better idea of the derivation and application of the theory. This summary of the theory uses only four letter or shorter words to describe the very complex theory in a simplistic way. i really understood it after reading this. here is an sample: "Say you woke up one day and your bed was gone. Your room, too. Gone. It's all gone. You wake up in an inky void. Not even a star. Okay, yes, it's a dumb idea, but just go with it. Now say you want to know if you move or not. Are you held fast in one spot? Or do you, say, list off to the left some? What I want to ask you is: Can you find out? Hell no. You can see that, sure. You don't need me to tell you. To move, you have to move to or away from ... well, from what? You'd have to say that you don't even get to use a word like "move" when you are the only body in that void. Sure. Okay." I really recommend you read the whole thing.

3. Youtube videos: here is a video making it easy to visualize what was taught from the above source.

4. Slate Magazine: I wanted to understand how einstein fit into the greater context of modernism. I found this article by David Greenberg. He wrote it in response to Time magazine selecting Einstein as the person of the century and asserting that "Einstein's theory of relativity spawned artistic modernism and moral relativism" or that he helped in large part to kickstart the modernist movement." Greenberg goes on to show how Einstein did no such thing. I quote: "Does the argument have merit?
Not much. The notion that the sheer force of Einstein's ideas revolutionized the world is mistaken. In 1905 Einstein published his "Special Theory of Relativity"—the one you might be familiar with, often explained via the example of a light beamed from the back of a train—and it took years before even scientists paid attention. Einstein remained quite unknown to the public at large until May 1919, when the British astronomer Arthur Eddington set out to test his "General Theory of Relativity" devised in 1915. During a solar eclipse, Eddington watched to see if a ray of light passing the sun would bend according to Einstein's formulations or Isaac Newton's 17^th-century laws—and Einstein won. Only then did Einstein achieve international celebrity; only then did pundits proclaim that a new consciousness was at hand."
This article gives a lot of historical context and insight into the relationship between Einstein and his contemporaries. but don't worry he does not diminish einstein at all: "When you think about it, the idea that everything is relative, or that everybody has his own point of view, is so obvious and familiar that it hardly takes a genius to think of it. In that sense, the suggestion that Einstein kicked off relativism and modernism is a massive insult to his intelligence. On the other hand, to assert that Einstein had nothing to do with them is not to diminish his genius or greatness. It is, rather, to enlarge them."

I hope these sources are useful to you.