Jamie Smith

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When Einstein’s theory was confirmed in 1919 by the observation of a predicted bending of rays of light by the gravitational field of the Sun, the Times of London declared that Newton had been shown to be wrong. This was a mistake. Newton’s theory can be regarded as an approximation to Einstein’s, one that becomes increasingly valid for objects moving at velocities much less than that of light. Not only does Einstein’s theory not disprove Newton’s; relativity explains why Newton’s theory works, when it does work. General relativity itself is doubtless an approximation to a more satisfactory ...more
To Explain the World: The Discovery of Modern Science
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