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The author of Skulls in the Stars is a professor of physics, specializing in optical science, at UNC Charlotte. The blog covers topics in physics and optics, the history of science, classic pulp fantasy and horror fiction, and the surprising intersections between these areas. -
Category Archives: Relativity
1901: Kaufmann measures relativity and doesn’t know it
The special theory of relativity has been extensively tested ever since Albert Einstein formulated it in 1905, and is essential in understanding numerous fields of physics, from astrophysics to nuclear physics to particle physics. Recently, I’ve been exploring some of … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Relativity
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The Einstein Theory of Relativity, by Lillian Lieber
I have been criminally unaware of the works of Lillian Lieber until recently. Somehow, I got wind of one of her books, the extremely unconventional 1945 book The Einstein Theory of Relativity, and from the description I knew I had … Continue reading
Posted in Physics, Relativity
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A radioactive test of special relativity (1960)
Einstein’s special theory of relativity still is met with disbelief by a lot of non-physicists, and it is probably one of the most active areas of physics science denial out there. Write about relativity, and it is quite likely that … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics, Relativity
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How much does a photon weigh?
A couple of weeks ago, after a glass of wine, I did a twitter “ask me anything” about optics and light which resulted in the question that is the title of this post. I took a rough twitter stab at it … Continue reading
Posted in Physics, Relativity
23 Comments
Relativity: Ten minutes to Alpha Centauri?
Einstein’s special theory of relativity is arguably the most amazing physical theory ever conceived. It utterly transformed our view of the universe, completely eradicating the view that space and time are independent quantities and giving us a new unified fabric … Continue reading
Posted in Physics, Relativity
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Faster than a speeding photon? Precursors test whether light can be faster than light
Over the past two weeks, the biggest physics news has been the apparent observation of neutrinos (nearly undetectable subatomic particles) moving faster than the vacuum speed of light. At first glance, this would seem to violate Einstein’s special theory of … Continue reading
Posted in Optics, Physics, Relativity
15 Comments
It’s not shrinkage — it’s relativity! (1889)
The best stories in the history of physics are those in which someone comes from humble origins and, seemingly out of nowhere, makes a brilliant discovery that changes everything. Such stories, however, can give a very misleading impression of the … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics, Relativity
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Right-wing refutations of relativity really, really wrong!
Back when I first started my blog, I spent a lot more time dealing with crazy people who are convinced that Einstein’s theories of relativity are wrong (see here, here and here). More recently, I haven’t spent a lot of … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Relativity
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Lord Rayleigh vs. the Aether! (1902)
(Note: This is an attempt to get myself rolling on my long-ignored series of posts explaining Einstein’s theories of relativity. It’s also a really cool experiment in the history of science.) One of the most fascinating aspects of 19th century … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics, Relativity
10 Comments
Einstein vs. Whittaker, with Born in the middle
My former thesis advisor is the greatest! I recently helped him update an electronic compilation of his collected papers, but refused any payment for my services. He ignored me and sent me a copy of The Born-Einstein Letters, a compilation … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics, Relativity
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