This month marks the 100th anniversary of advent of Albert Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity. In fact, today is the very day on which he submitted his paper, entitled The Field Equations of Gravitation for publication.

If you’re in a particularly thankful mood, on this national time of thanks-giving in the USA, then you might want to spare a thought for Uncle Albert (we’re so sorry, Uncle Albert…).
Because without him, much of what we now take for granted wouldn’t be possible.
Things such as cell phones, GPS, space travel, and the battery powered toothbrush.

I’m not entirely sure about that last one…
That could just be a fig-newton of my imagination, where the effects of gravitation are concerned…

Did you see what I did there?

♪ ♪♩ Issac and Albert sitting in a tree… ♬ ♩

To be exact, an apple tree.
And because time is relative (relatively speaking), I’m sure that very scenario is entirely plausible in some other space/time continuum… which could never be proven true, or even demonstrably shown to be possible… and which is therefore now accepted as the current version of the standard model.

My standard model is the classic 1969 Plymouth Satellite two door coupe, with the front bench seat and the standard 318 8-cylinder engine.
But then, I’m not a scientist…

Let’s end this with a brief presentation by none other than a (relatively) recent Doctor Who, explaining Uncle Albert’s theory in more layman terms.
Laying down your burdens, your body or anything else, for the purposes of a more robust understanding, is not a requirement for the following presentation.
But it couldn’t hurt.
Besides… if Dr. Who can’t explain general relativity, who can?

 

Image found here.