Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

That Famous Equation and You
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/30/opinion/30greene.html ^ | September 30, 2005 | BRIAN GREENE

Posted on 10/01/2005 8:10:18 PM PDT by GummyIII

That Famous Equation and You

By BRIAN GREENE

Correction Appended

DURING the summer of 1905, while fulfilling his duties in the patent office in Bern, Switzerland, Albert Einstein was fiddling with a tantalizing outcome of the special theory of relativity he'd published in June. His new insight, at once simple and startling, led him to wonder whether "the Lord might be laughing ... and leading me around by the nose."

But by September, confident in the result, Einstein wrote a three-page supplement to the June paper, publishing perhaps the most profound afterthought in the history of science. A hundred years ago this month, the final equation of his short article gave the world E = mc².

In the century since, E = mc² has become the most recognized icon of the modern scientific era. Yet for all its symbolic worth, the equation's intimate presence in everyday life goes largely unnoticed. There is nothing you can do, not a move you can make, not a thought you can have, that doesn't tap directly into E = mc². Einstein's equation is constantly at work, providing an unseen hand that shapes the world into its familiar form. It's an equation that tells of matter, energy and a remarkable bridge between them.

More here...

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Philosophy; Technical
KEYWORDS: albert; einstein; emc2; equation; physics
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141-157 next last
Excellent explanation of Einstein's derivation of relativity and the relation between energy and mass.
1 posted on 10/01/2005 8:10:21 PM PDT by GummyIII
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: PatrickHenry

NerdCentral ping


2 posted on 10/01/2005 8:15:55 PM PDT by longshadow
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: longshadow

I'm not a nerd...I'm a geek-a-billy. Humph! ;-)


3 posted on 10/01/2005 8:17:39 PM PDT by GummyIII (If you have the ability, it's your responsibility." Marine Sgt. John Place, Silver Star recipient)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: GummyIII
I'm going to respond to this solely for the purpose of finding this tomorrow morning.

I have absolutely no intention of revisiting the theory of relativity approximately 15 minutes before I'm hitting the mattress.

4 posted on 10/01/2005 8:17:57 PM PDT by Dog Gone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dog Gone

I know...it'll keep you awake all night. Sleep well.


5 posted on 10/01/2005 8:19:02 PM PDT by GummyIII (If you have the ability, it's your responsibility." Marine Sgt. John Place, Silver Star recipient)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: GummyIII

bttt


6 posted on 10/01/2005 8:19:47 PM PDT by Dark Skies ("The only way to find yourself is in the fires of sorrow." -- Oswald Chambers)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GummyIII

When you twist up a spring, it gets heavier. Cool.


7 posted on 10/01/2005 8:20:16 PM PDT by The Red Zone (Florida, the sun-shame state, and Illinois the chicken injun.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GummyIII
My wife, a lawyer, just put me the question "Why is Enstein so famous?" And I'm still trying to figure out where to start from....
8 posted on 10/01/2005 8:20:23 PM PDT by voletti (For God, Prez and country....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dog Gone

I'm going to read it just so I can dream about it. Maybe it will make sense to me then.


9 posted on 10/01/2005 8:20:50 PM PDT by SamAdams76 (What Would Howard Roarke Do?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: GummyIII
This isn't true. When you drive your car, E = mc² is at work. As the engine burns gasoline to produce energy in the form of motion, it does so by converting some of the gasoline's mass into energy, in accord with Einstein's formula. When you use your MP3 player, E = mc² is at work. As the player drains the battery to produce energy in the form of sound waves, it does so by converting some of the battery's mass into energy, as dictated by Einstein's formula.
I don't believe this is true.

Those are examples of energy changing form - from chemical to kinetic and from stored electrical to sound energy.

The energies are in addition to the rest state energy of e=mc^2 no matter to energy conversion required. If he wanted an every day example he could have used glowing dials in a tritium watch or a Geiger counter finding background radiation in a concrete building.

On the other hand, the guy is a professor of physics so maybe I am missing something.

10 posted on 10/01/2005 8:21:11 PM PDT by gondramB ( We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: voletti

Oh oh....since I'm female, let me suggest you don't laugh.


11 posted on 10/01/2005 8:22:57 PM PDT by GummyIII (If you have the ability, it's your responsibility." Marine Sgt. John Place, Silver Star recipient)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: GummyIII

bttt


12 posted on 10/01/2005 8:22:59 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SamAdams76
There is something about learning just before sleeping. It helps in the retention, for some strange reason.

But I'm a morning person. I'm not in the mood to study at this time of night. See my temporary tagline.

13 posted on 10/01/2005 8:25:50 PM PDT by Dog Gone (Not responsible for posts made after 10 pm CDT)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: GummyIII

Did you try to place it in the editorial sidebar?


14 posted on 10/01/2005 8:28:41 PM PDT by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dog Gone

"There is something about learning just before sleeping. It helps in the retention, for some strange reason."

Yeah, well, the flip side is I'm now staying up researching... I'm convinced the professor is wrong on several points.


15 posted on 10/01/2005 8:29:24 PM PDT by gondramB ( We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

Since I seldom post, I'm not sure...ahem. Perhaps a FRmail would help?


16 posted on 10/01/2005 8:29:54 PM PDT by GummyIII (If you have the ability, it's your responsibility." Marine Sgt. John Place, Silver Star recipient)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: gondramB
Those are examples of energy changing form - from chemical to kinetic and from stored electrical to sound energy.

The exhaust gases have a very slightly smaller mass than the incoming air and fuel did (chemical). The car gains a very tiny amount of mass as it speeds up (kinetic). Because of that gargantuan c2 factor (speed of light squared) the mass lost or gained is far below the threshold of the ability of ordinary equipment to detect.

17 posted on 10/01/2005 8:31:15 PM PDT by The Red Zone (Florida, the sun-shame state, and Illinois the chicken injun.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: GummyIII
Image hosted by TinyPic.comWTF
18 posted on 10/01/2005 8:31:51 PM PDT by Old Seadog (Birthdays start out being fun. But too many of them will kill you..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gondramB
Those are examples of energy changing form - from chemical to kinetic and from stored electrical to sound energy.

The "stored" energy manifests itself in the unrealized (potential) state as a tiny increase in the mass of the object in which it resides, compared to the masses of the constituent atoms making up the material. Combustion releases the "stored" chemical energy in the form of heat. If you compare the masses of all the combustion by-products to the original mass of the chemicals before combustion, some mass is missing, the amount missing is exactly equal to the mass equivalent to the energy released by the combustion process, as calculated by the formula e=mc2.

19 posted on 10/01/2005 8:35:38 PM PDT by longshadow
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: GummyIII

Oops. I thought this was the baseball thread discussing David Eckstein. Pardon me.


20 posted on 10/01/2005 8:35:42 PM PDT by speedy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141-157 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson