FelixN

The Effects of Einstein's Theory of Relativity 

**A new era of thinking ** Einstein's theory of relativity has impacted our society in many ways by changing the ideas of physics and everyday thinking as well as helping us create products for consumers. It was a concept created by Einstein during the 1910s. Before Einstein's time, people thought that the time on their watches and the distances they were traveling were absolute. Everywhere they went, the time would be the same and the distances between places would also be the same. Einstein, however, did not believe this and formulated his own theory on the phenomenon. He believed that time and space was, in fact, relative. The time, distances, and measurements you see is only relative to you whereas it can be different for someone else. They are only perceived by the observer and are not the same to everyone. Only the speed of light, often denoted as //c//, was constant, and Einstein often made judgments and observations from the constant of light speed. When he made his theory of relativity, he accounted for a 4th dimension in his studies in which all of the other three dimensions coexisted. There would be a curvature in space time, so as you move in a straight line, you are actually moving along a curved path. Einstein believed that since we are near a massive object such as the Earth, time is curved. We cannot see this phenomenon because our brains only allow us to see in three dimensions, and in doing so, we are actually distorting what is actually occurring. An example of this theory would include two people: If one person on a bus going 60 miles per hour throws a ball at 30 miles per hour, a stationary person outside would see the ball go at 90 miles per hour. However, the person on the bus only sees the ball going 30 miles per hour. Unlike the ball, light is seen the same way for everyone. Light beams traveling through the bus would look the same from the moving person's point-of-view and the stationary person's point-of-view. Thus, objects near the speed of light will often appear similar to most people while objects must slower than light (ie. the ball) will be greatly based on the perception of viewers. In addition to these aspects of relativity, length contraction and time dialation were also created by Einstein. As a clock moves and ticks at the same time, it seems that time is going by slower. Also, if objects move they can sometimes be seen to be shorter than they orginally were.

 **The Big Bang Theory ** With the introduction of Einstein's theory of relativity, physicists and researchers changed the way the perceived the world around them. Relativity helped formulate new theories based on space and the universe we lived in. During 1922, a Russian meteorologist named Alexander Friedmann created the Big Bang Theory that would explain how our universe got created and how it may end. Friedmann would use Einstein's equations and ideas to show how the universe expanded, thinned, and cooled to create the world we know and live in. He also used it to prove how the universe would either continue to expand or eventually collapse. If the universe  reaches a limit, it may shrink and become denser. Eventually it may crumble planets and galaxies to the very last atom. These theories have gained new ground on ideas on astronomy, and even then they have advanced further studies in the science fields (NOVA: Einstein's Big Idea). **

Philosophy Redesigned ** While the theory of relativity spanned over wide areas of science, it also impacted everyday philosophy and even religion. Objects were now relative to each other, and the space and time we live through is curved and viewed through the observers' perspectives. We had believed time was the only constant part of our lives, but since it is relative according to Einstein, we had to change they way we viewed the world around us. Philosophers such as Aristotle and Kent believed that there was only one, moral way of carrying out decisions. For example: if a child is hurt and a man is nearby, he is obligated to help him or get help for him. However, with relativity, people make their own judgments based on personal views. Every decision they make, moral or not, is all based on your own point-of-view because the events that occur around you are relative to only you. Not only did his theories create a sound basis for others, he himself created a revolution in America. Einstein was Jewish and had started in America poor. After hard work and much hypothesizing, he became famous, and he believed many others could do it with him. He advocated for education for the poorer and less fortuante so that they may also make an impact on America and the world. His influence allowed him to change many of other American policies such as nuclear proliferation and human rights.

The world was being impacted more and more with the ideas of Einstein, and his ideas also became successful products. Scientists were able to use his work to create products that would be useful for the average consumer and the nation. One of the most important inventions following the theory of relativity was the GPS system. The GPS system was made by the US Department of Defense to make a navigation system for the military. However, it also became a mainstream product for consumers to put in their cars or use in transportation systems. The GPS finds your absolute position on Earth through satelites in space. In order for this to happen, it must be accurate by 20-30 nanoseconds. Satelites in space are actually moving relative to observers on space, and according to the theory of relativity, objects in motion may appear slower relative to an observer. They will actually be 7 microseconds slow according to special relativity. General relativity also plays an important role. Because of the curvature in time, clocks nearer a large body of mass will tick slower, and since satellites are further out in space, they will tick faster. In the end, satellites will be 38 microseconds faster everyday, and they must compensate for that to get accurate readings for the GPS system. Without it, you will not be able to see where you are currently located (The GPS Navigation System). In addition to GPS, the US was able to utilize relativity in its use of nuclear energy. Using E = mc², physicists explained that as mass accelerates closer and closer to the speed of light, its mass grows as well. They used this in nuclear fission in which atomic mass was converted into energy.
 *  Innovative Technology **

**Changing Times** After the discovery and conclusions of Einstein's theory of relativity, the world improved in many ways. Relativity is the idea that space, time, and everything we know is relative to the observer. Only the speed of light is absolute. It is these conclusions along with many other ideas from Einstein's theory that allowed people to formulate new ideas and advance society. The formation of the Big Bang Theory, the change in philosophy and general thinking, and the creation of the GPS system were all ways that people innovated and improved upon past knowledge to create new and exciting products. I believe that in the future, people will use the idea of relativity to make more products that are acutally useful to us. As the world become more and more technologically inclined, people will gear towards making technology that utilizes relativity to make people's lives easier.



Annotated Works Cited

         **  <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Brain, Marshall, and Tom Harris. "How GPS Receivers Work." 25 September 2006. HowStuffWorks.com. <__[|http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/travel/gps.htm]__ > 08 February 2009. ** <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This is where I got the picture for the GPS receiver in space. It is part of the HowStuffWorks site, a reputable and credible site for explaining many of the phenomenons in the world. I thought it was very reliable and completely informational. <span style="font-size: 130%; color: rgb(237, 33, 33); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-size: 130%; color: rgb(5, 5, 5);"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> This is an information page on relativity was made by NASA, a government program in space and science. This attribution alone convinces me to trust this site. It is all information with no bias, and the author is a professor with a Ph.D in the University of California.
 * Dine, Michael. "Relativity." World Book Online Reference Center. 2004. World Book, Inc.** ** < ** **<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar464240 **<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> **>**
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"ESA - Kids - Our Universe - Star birth." European Space Agency. 8 Feb. 2009 < ** **[|http://www.esa.int/esaKIDSen/SEMY06WJD1E_OurUniverse_1.html]>**

<span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This is where I got the picture for the universe. The site is part of the European Space Agency and directed for kids to learn about astronomy.

<span style="font-size: 130%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">  **Harrison, David. "Special Theory of Relativity." //University of Toronto//. 27 Sep. 2007. 5 Feb. 2009 [|<http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/GeneralInterest/Harrison/SpecRel/SpecRel.html]>** <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This site gives a brief history of the Theory of Relativity as well as how Einstein came to his conclusions. There are links to simulations and examples of each concept. There are several diagrams and pictures explaining them. It is attributed to the University of Toronto and was written by David Harrison, a professor in Physics. The article is not bias at all and prompts discussion from the readers.

<span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**  Lightman, Alan. "NOVA | Einstein's Big Idea | Relativity (Lightman Essay) | PBS." __PBS__. 5 Feb. 2009  [|<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/einstein/relativity/] **  **>** <span style="font-size: 90%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This site about relativity was written by Alan Lightman, a professor of humanities at MIT. He would know much information on the topic, the the information should be reliable. The site is also attributed to PBS, a well known TV program. It was created in 2005 and does not seem to urge readers to think a certain way.


 * "Theory: Special Relativity (SLAC VVC)." SLAC Virtual Visitor Center. 31 Oct. 2008. 5 Feb. 2009 <  http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/vvc/theory/relativity.html         **    **   >   **

<span style="font-size: 90%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> This site has a general overview of Einstein's Theory of Relativity. It has each of its laws as well as the effects of relativity including length contraction and time dilation. Other topics related to relativity can be found here, too. The site is part of the Visitor's Center of Stanford University, so the information must be credible. It was updated just 3-4 months ago and is targeted for students and teachers who want to learn more about Relativity.