Astronomers Prove Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Luo oma autopakuutuksesi kuin patonki vaarissa. Täytteenä herkkuja, kuten palo, ilkivalta, varkaus, lunastusetu, lasiturva ja sijaisauto. Suomen suosituin autopakuuskorvaa arvaamattomat ja arvottomat vahingot. Lähitapio.fi kautta auto. Palvelun tarjoavat lähitapillon vahinkoja alueyhtiöt. Lähitapiolla samalla puolella.
It's May twenty ninth, nineteen nineteen in Principe, a remote West African island. Arthur Eddington leans out of an open window, cautiously peering up at the overcast sky. As a few stray droplets of rain trickle down the astronomer's cheek, he mutters grimly, hoping that the poor weather won't hamper the experiment he spent months preparing for. Arthur is leading a British expedition to test a theory proposed by budding theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. According to Einstein, gravity, instead of being an invisible force that attracts objects to one another, is actually the curving or warping of space itself. For now, this is just a theory. But Arthur traveled across the world determined to prove its veracity.
A total solar eclipse, where the moon passes exactly between the sun and earth, is slated to take place in Principe today, allowing Arthur to observe stars usually outshone by the sun. If Einstein's theory is correct, then light from stars behind the sun will be bent by the sun's gravity, making them appear slightly displaced from their normal nighttime positions. With the eclipse approaching, Arthur sharply pulls the window shut and crosses the room to his desk. He rifles through the papers and half open books scattered upon it, taking the necessary documents and gathering the last of his measuring tools before stepping outside to prepare for the experiment. As the door slams behind him, a strong gust of wind stings Arthur's face.
Looking up, he carefully surveys the clouds with a growing unease. As other members of the expedition join him and set up their many devices and cameras, they all wear the same nervous expression as they share their concerns. If they can't see the stars today, their experiment is doomed, and they'll never be able to repeat it, at least not on Principe. The island was carefully chosen because a cluster of stars is conveniently positioned near the sun here. But after this, a total eclipse will not take place on this island for nearly 400 more years. Arthur glances down at his watch and checks how much more time they have. With just 20 minutes left, he nervously inspects all the cameras and measuring instruments his team has brought, ensuring everything is in order.
As he makes his rounds, his colleagues abruptly halt their conversation. Alarmed, Arthur glances at them, wondering what has gone wrong, but they say nothing and simply point at the sky. Even before he looks up, Arthur can feel the warm rays of sunshine on the back of his neck. The sky has begun to clear. Arthur continues preparing for the experiment with renewed enthusiasm, a broad smile spreading across his face.
What was the scientific goal of Arthur Eddington’s 1919 eclipse expedition?
Arthur's experiment will seem successful. During the eclipse, he'll find that the stars indeed appear slightly displaced from their normal positions, just as Albert Einstein's theory predicted. When the results of Arthur's expedition is made public at the end of 1919, Einstein will be catapulted to overwhelming fame. But many in the scientific community will continue to be skeptical of the physicist's so-called theory of general relativity. They'll question the validity of Arthur's conclusions and the rigor of his experiment, claiming that he didn't measure the positions of enough stars. And it will take several more years before another expedition will lay these doubts to rest with their own experiment on september twenty first, nineteen twenty two.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–3:18
2
What was the scientific goal of Arthur Eddington’s 1919 eclipse expedition?
3:18–10:29
3
How did Einstein’s equivalence principle lead to the idea of light bending in gravity?
10:29–15:49
4
Why did the 1922 Walal expedition choose a remote Australian site for the eclipse test?
15:49–21:48
5
What challenges did William Campbell’s team face while setting up equipment on Walal?
21:48–23:08