he condemned them to the duty of making the speed of light the same in all reference frames. In doing so, he ensured that the laws of physics did not vary between observers, following the principle of relativity.
The age-old Galilean relativity thereby met its end. Although the equations that Einstein derived to calculate coordinate transformations between reference frames had actually already been produced by Hendrik Lorentz, Lorentz had not considered the principle of relativity in his derivation; instead, Lorentz had set out to determine the coordinate differences between a moving observer and the absolute reference frame of the aether, the medium that he believed light propagated through. Einstein's theory resulted in the equations that Maxwell used to describe electromagnetism retaining their accuracy for all observers, but the new way of looking at the world that Einstein's theory provided gave far more gifts to the physics community. This grand reconstitution of physics was a major breakthrough for the field. Mass-energy equivalence arose; an invariant spacetime interval was concocted; . The intermingling of space and time under special relativity led to the creation of a way of viewing the universe as a space-time continuum. Conveying special relativity intuitively, Hermann Minkowski catalyzed a prompt adoption of the theory, and Minkowski space even made formerly muddled physical …show more content…
theories elegant. By giving light the same velocity in all reference frames, the idea that light moved through a medium such as the aether, which differs in velocity between observers, became untenable. Special relativity's governance was not exclusive to theory; experiments that tested its integrity revealed that special relativity contained fundamental truths about the universe. The Ives-Stilwell experiment, for example, demonstrated the time dilation predicted by the Lorentz transformations. More. Special relativity even has made contributions to technology, its fruits not being privy to those in the realm of science.
The aberration of time as quantified by Einstein's equations is necessary to maintain the accuracy of atomic clocks.? However much special relativity sharpened the physicist's image of the mechanics of the universe, it was not sufficient to end the human struggle for knowledge of nature's composition; being special, it only applied to the special case in which the force of gravity was minimal. It was barely ten years when Einstein bestowed on humankind a more cavernous glimpse of nature's inner-workings with general relativity. Yet still, physicists continue to tirelessly strive to reconcile general relativity with quantum field theory, with some offering superstring theory as the true key to deciphering the universe.My love of physics makes my contribution to the field ineluctable. With other scientists, I plan to engage in a critical and intense analysis of the world in the attempt to discern the orchestra of concepts that give rise to it, augmenting the model of the universe and thereby influencing the foundations of physics. Over the course of my physics career, I will form an exceptional harmony with the world, the knowledge of the inner-workings of
which I will internalize. So far, in pursuit of my aspirations in physics, I have watched numerous YouTube videos on physics and read Stephen Hawking books. Now, the Governor's School of the Sciences, which "promotes the concept of a community of interested scholars," presents to me a tantalizing opportunity to engage in thoughtful contemplation of the natural world with peers who are as curious as I.