Who proposed the theory of relativity?
Albert Einstein proposed the theory of relativity. He published special relativity in 1905 and general relativity, a new theory of gravity, in 1915.
Special relativity showed that the speed of light is the same for every observer and that time and space are linked. Moving clocks tick more slowly, and objects shrink slightly in the direction they are moving, effects that become noticeable only near the speed of light. It also led to the famous equation E = mc².
General relativity describes gravity not as a force pulling objects together but as the bending of space and time by mass and energy. Planets orbit the Sun because they follow curves in spacetime.
Proved by experiments
In 1919, astronomers led by Arthur Eddington observed starlight bending around the Sun during a solar eclipse, as general relativity predicted, and Einstein became world famous. In 2015, detectors measured gravitational waves for the first time, confirming another prediction.
Did You Know?
GPS satellites have to correct their clocks for relativity. Without these corrections, GPS positions would drift by several kilometers a day.