dwenius | (no subject)

100 years ago today, a little known Swiss patent clerk had his third of three papers published by Annalen der Physik. The first explained the photoelectric effect, and won the author a Nobel prize for its proof of the existence of light quanta. The second explained Brownian motion, redefining kinetic theory and explaining an observed behavior that had long puzzled scientists. The third paper, On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies, had less immediate practical impact, but can perhaps be forgiven this weakness, as it merely redefined our entire notion of space and time, completely, via an analysis so simple it can be explained in full to your average high schooler.

I'm raising a glass today to celebrate Special Relativity. And you should too.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

cheers to that! let's go bend an elbow and alter our perception of time, and therefore, reality.

Woo, I'd never read either of those "primary texts" before. Cool.

Yep. I love how he states revolutionary ideas so matter of factly. Well, at least, it seems so in translation.

We reproduced the photoelectric effect experiment at high school. Definitely one of the better experiments of those days...