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Ask Ethan #106: How, exactly, did Newton fail? (Synopsis) [Starts With A Bang]
“To me there has never been a higher source of earthly honor or distinction than that connected with advances in science.” –Isaac Newton
If Newton truly meant that sentiment, perhaps he would have been happy to find out that his theory of gravitation — which stood unchallenged for over 200 years — was superseded a century ago by Einstein’s general relativity. Not only did Einstein’s theory reproduce all the successful predictions of Newtonian gravity, but where the predictions differed, Einstein’s agreed with observations where Newton’s did not.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons user WillowW.
This began with the orbit of Mercury and its observed perihelion precession. But how, exactly, what Newton’s theory insufficient? How did Einstein’s theory get it right? And what did it take in order to make that leap?
Image credit: Cetin Bal, retrieved from http://www.zamandayolculuk.com/cetinbal/htmldosya1/RelativityFile.htm.
Find out the answers to these questions and more on this week’s Ask Ethan!
Source: http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2015/09/18/ask-ethan-106-how-exactly-did-newton-fail-synopsis/
