Reimagining Time: A Light-Speed Tour of Einstein's Theory of Relativity

Description

A quirky, funny, and accessible blend of science and art that delves into the heart of Einstein’s theory of relativity   “A fascinating introduction to the core concepts of special relativity. The unique illustrated format and elegant writing will appeal to readers who have not encountered these ideas before.”—Chad Orzel, author of How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog It was a link to Albert Einstein’s 1905 paper—an early attempt at explaining his revolutionary ideas on space, time, and matter—that drew Tanya Bub into his imaginative vision of the world. What particularly struck her was how Einstein interwove words and math to create clear visuals illustrating his theories. As an artist, she naturally started doodling as she worked her way through his concepts, creating drawings that intuitively demonstrated Einstein’s core principles.   In Reimagining Time, Tanya Bub teams up with her father, the distinguished physicist Jeffrey Bub, to create a quirky and accessible take on one of science’s most revolutionary discoveries. Blending original art and text, they guide readers—even nonmathematicians—through Einstein’s theory of special relativity to reveal truths about our universe: time is relative, lengths get shorter with motion, energy and mass are interchangeable, and the universe has a speed limit. Cover Half Title Title Copyright Dedication Contents Preface: The story of the book, with reading tips Introduction: Light goes at one speed… Episode I: so time has to be relative… Episode II: as does simultaneity, which means lengths must contract with motion… Episode III: by a very particular amount… Episode IV: revealing the exchange rate between energy and mass (E = mc[sup(2)] ) Bonus Feature: The chicken or the egg? A take on Einstein’s twin paradox Geek Notes: For the skeptical relativist Bibliography Acknowledgments Index A B C D E I L M N P R S T U V