Einstein's Theories of Relativity and Gravitation; A Selection of Material from the Essays Submitted in the Competition for the Eugene Higgins Prize of $5,000

by J. Malcolm Bird

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1921. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... What Einstein's Study Of Uniform Motion Tells Us About Time And Space And The Nature Of The External Reality By Various Contributors And The Editor HATEVER the explanation adopted for the "y negative result of the Michelson-Morley experiment, one thing stands out clearly: the attempt to isolate absolute motion has again failed.]* [Einstein generalizes this with all the other and older negative results of similar sort into a negative deduction to the effect that no experiment is possible upon two systems which will determine that one of them is in motion and the other at rest.]121 [He elevates the repeated failure to detect absolute motion through space into the principle that experiment will never reveal anything in the nature of absolute velocities. He postulates that all laws of nature can and should be enunciated in such forms that they are as true in these forms for one observer as for another, even though these observers with their frames of reference be in motion relative to one another.]264 [There are various ways of stating the principle of the relativity of uniform motion which has been thus arrived at, and which forms the basis of the Special Theory of Einstein. If we care to emphasize the role of mathematics and the reference frame we may say that]* [any coordinate system having a uniform rectilinear motion with respect to the bodies under observation may be interchangeably used with any other such system in describing their motions;]232 [or that the unaccelerated motion of a system of reference cannot be detected by observations made on this system alone.]194 [Or we can let this aspect of the matter go, and state the relativity postulate in a form more intelligible to the non-mathematician by simply insisting that it is impossible by any means whatev...

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

158 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2008

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I smooth-read this book and Project Gutenberg will publish it pretty soon.

[Ritesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a very good discussion on Einstein's Theory of Relativity. It is essentially a compilation of essays on the theory by appropriately qualified people from different regions. Limited by rules restricting each easy to a certain amount of words (3000), the essayists make a good job of attempting to explain the theory in as simple a language as possible. However, the introduction to the essays by the editor itself is long drawn-out and one wants to get to the essays. Also, as much sincere and commendable the efforts of the essayists are to make it simple, those who do not like Physics much may find it very hard. Unfortunately, the book does not excite an interest in the topic other than to those who are already otherwise interested.

[Jennifer Barstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book that explains how everyone has different perceptions of things in life.