Einstein seized on the glitch to come up with a new theory that accurately predicted Mercury’s orbit. In describing gravity, Newton relied on a rough model that said “things attract each other.”44 Einstein’s model, in contrast, was more complex: “Stuff warps space and time.”45 To understand what Einstein meant, imagine putting a bowling ball and some billiard balls on a trampoline.46 The heavy bowling ball would curve the fabric of the trampoline, causing the lighter billiard balls to move toward it. According to Einstein, gravity worked the same way: It warped the fabric of space and time.
