What is General Relativity?

General Relativity is the modern theory of gravity that replaced Newton's theory of gravity. General Relativity deals with accelerated motion such as is the case with gravity. Special Relativity deals with constant rate motion.

The PBS Nova Einstein Revealed episode presented Einstein's General Relativity equation for the equivalence of space-time and matter-energy. This equation says that matter and energy is a concentrated form of space and time!!!

G_uv = 8(pi) T_uv

where:
Space and Time is on the left.
Matter and Energy is on the right.

G_uv is the Riemann tensor of curvature (space time).
T_uv is the energy tensor of matter (matter energy).
8(pi) is the concentrating factor.

Brian Greene's book, The Fabric Of The Cosmos (chapter 10 footnotes), shows how Einstein introduced a cosmological constant into this equation. Einstein proposed that cosmic expansion occurs at a constantly increasing rate known as the cosmological constant.

Kip Thorne, author of the book Black Holes and Time Warps, hosted the PBS Nova Time Travel episode (10-12-1999). This interesting show examines if relativity allows black holes or worm holes to be used as a possible means of time travel.

Einstein's best known equation, e=mc², comes from Special Relativity and says mass is a concentrated form of energy, where c² is the concentrating factor.

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