The Curious History of Relativity: How Einstein's Theory of Gravity Was Lost and Found Again.THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF RELATIVITY: How Einstein's Theory of Gravity Noun 1. theory of gravity - (physics) the theory that any two particles of matter attract one another with a force directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them Was Lost and Found Again JEAN EISENSTAEDT Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity Noun 1. Einstein's general theory of relativity - a generalization of special relativity to include gravity (based on the principle of equivalence) general relativity, general relativity theory, general theory of relativity was met with widespread acceptance and acclaim, although most people didn't understand it. Then, the theory languished for years, as some physicists became fascinated with quantum mechanics quantum mechanics: see quantum theory. quantum mechanics Branch of mathematical physics that deals with atomic and subatomic systems. It is concerned with phenomena that are so small-scale that they cannot be described in classical terms, and it is and others turned against Einstein's difficult-to-comprehend notion of relativity. In this English translation, Eisenstaedt, a senior researcher at France's National Center for Scientific Research, reviews how Einstein developed the theory that would supplant Newton's principles of gravity. The author reviews the period from the 1920s to the 1950s, during which Einstein confronted his critics. Finally, Eisenstaedt ponders what will become of general relativity as today's physicists search for a unifying theory of the quantum and gravitational grav·i·ta·tion n. 1. Physics a. The natural phenomenon of attraction between physical objects with mass or energy. b. The act or process of moving under the influence of this attraction. 2. domains. Princeton, 2006, 363 p., b&w photos and illus., hardcover, $29.95. |
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