
Einstein described how the curvature of space affects both gravity and time. The resulting earth-satellite time disparity mandates corrective adjustments by GPS systems. Photo by NASA.
Bob and I have been enjoying the Oct. 17, 2015 issue of Science News magazine, which contains an article about how well Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity seems to be holding up. Very well, indeed, as it turns out.
Much of the Theory is way beyond me, especially the math, but there are some concepts that I can understand The one I’m thinking about right now is that gravity is actually not a force that pulls on things (instantaneous action-at-a-distance) which is how Sir Isaac Newton conceived of it. In reality, Einstein discovered, gravity is the curvature of space: a massive body will have a gravitational field that is actually space curving around the massive body and forcing objects to fall to the ground. Additionally, this gravity causes time to flow more slowly in the presence of a massive body. Continue reading →