Changing the history of thought is a lofty achievement, even for someone with the mental capacity of Albert Einstein. When he was only 26, not much older than the average college student, he created his theory of relativity that contradicted past geniuses such as Sir Isaac Newton. By realizing that the accepted beliefs did not always apply, he created a revolution that continually affects our lives today. He challenged himself to not be complacent with current ideas, a trait that any true student should possess. Through hard work and inspiration, he changed the frame of reference from which modern physics is conducted and altered the way we live today down to the smallest microchip.

The original theories of motion and gravitational influences between two bodies discovered and developed by Isaac Newton in the 1660’s were used up until the time of Einstein in the 1910’s. These equations described action and movement in a precise way. Through experimentation he calculated the effect of gravity and the subsequent interaction between two bodies. For all practical matters they served well for 250 years.

They were precise enough to seem correct because of the nature of the calculating tools used. There were no higher level schools of thought or actions such as space travel that would have been greatly affected by these imperfect equations.

They did, however, according to Einstein’s The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity, possess a problem that does not allow them to be true in all cases. The inability to calculate interactions when the frame of reference is altered is a distinct problem. The frame of reference is the point to which all others are compared. Locations, velocities, and times are measured from this origin. When motion and interaction are seen from a fixed reference point, two objects seem to be moving at two different speeds and velocities, but from a moving point, one object might seem to be stationary while only the other object will seem to be in motion. Each dimension depends on the velocity and acceleration of the point that is established as the reference point.

This principle can be seen through the action of Earth. From our perspective Earth seems to be stationary and we measure other movements assuming that Earth is still. If we were to relocate to outer space where our view of the Earth would be that it is moving, revolving around the sun, and rotating on its axis, the viewed total movement would be much more complicated than the simple zero it seems when you are standing on its surface. Thus the measurement of movement and time depend on where the frame of reference is established.

Einstein discovered that this problem can be solved by applying Newton’s theories to a rotating system of coordinates. According to The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity, when each point is considered independently, velocity, distances, and time all become relative to a unique point. The conclusion can be drawn that the location of an object can be defined distinctively with respect to every specific point. This seemingly simple realization resulted in a complete restructuring of the laws of physics.

This revelation became the basis of modern theory and the affects can be seen in all forms of modern life. Understanding of the interaction of bodies has led to incredible revolutions in technology. Through the ability to create and develop computers, and utilize a better understanding of the interaction of particles that coexist in microchips, industry has progressed at an incredible rate. Today’s everyday life is shaped around our technology and the tasks that can be done through these improvements. The possibilities of more efficient space travel and future colonization of space are potential gains that could come to pass in the future.

Great societal changes resulted when a young man decided to not be complacent with the accepted norm. The actions of a single person demonstrate the possibilities that exist for those who possess a drive for improvement. Only through the testing of established ways did this revelation result. A student must realize that this is the idea behind learning. Every college student must, on a smaller scale, test and justify the knowledge that is being presented by a professor so that one of two important changes can occur. If the concept is questioned then later justified, the student has then learned the material first hand and can truly understand the subtleties involved because they questioned its foundations of the concept. This also allows them to be more of an expert on the topic so that later discussions will include informed information. On the other hand, if the question can not be answered satisfactorily, the ramifications could potentially be on the scale of Einstein’s questionings. When this is the case, potential is unlimited and the future is wide open for whatever the new realization might bring. The initial question is a first and necessary step towards understanding and change.

 

References

Einstein, Albert. The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity. Albert Einstein, 1916. The Principle of Relativity: A Collection of Original Memoirs on the Special and General Theory of Relativity. Online Primary Source Database., Duke U. 31 Jan. 2003 http://www.originalsources.com/ nxt/gateway.dll/sc/scgs.

Einstein, A. (2001, July 9). A Brief Outline of the Development of the Theory of Relativity. Nature, no. 2677, vol. 106 (1921).http://www.nature.com/ physics/physics.taf?file=/ physics/lookingback/einstein/index.html