Why should we care about Albert Einstein, anyway?

Bruce Mellado, professor of physics at the University of the Witwatersrand, helps us better understand the importance of Albert Einstein and his work

Why is Einstein important?

Classical physics at the turn of the 20th century was not able to explain a number of very important scientific phenomena. During the first quarter of the 20th century, the basis of what is known today as modern physics was laid. This comprises the theory of relativity, proposed by Einstein, and quantum physics, to which Einstein was a contributor.

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What is the theory of relativity anyway?

It comprises two interconnected principles: special relativity and general relativity.

Special relativity revolves around the proposition that the speed of light in a vacuum is the same for all observers, regardless of their motion. This leads to phenomena such the relativistic mass (the mass of an object depends on its speed), the mass-energy equivalence (E=mc²) in that energy and mass are transmutable, and other phenomena.

General relativity is a theory intended at explaining gravity (the attraction of bodies because of their mass). It explains why light deflects when travelling next to something heavy, or the existence of gravitational waves.

Why is the theory important?

Without the theory of relativity it is not possible to understand modern physics and without modern physics we cannot explore the fundamentals of nature and the universe.

What current technology can we attribute to Einstein?

First, the direct applications of relativity in fields of engineering pertaining to the precise measurement of position and time, like in satellites and GPS (global positioning system).

Second, Einstein was instrumental with others in the formulation of modern physics. Without modern physics we would not have hi-tech. For instance, we would not have advanced electronics, computers, the internet, etcetera.