Your Daily Equation #26: Einstein's General Theory of Relativity: The Essential Idea

Episode 26 #YourDailyEquation: Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, phrased in terms of warps and curves in space and time, provides our most refined description of the gravitational force. Join Brian Greene for a visual exploration of Einstein's most profound discovery and the equations he triumphantly announced in 1915.

Even if your math is a bit rusty, join Brian Greene for brief and breezy discussions of pivotal equations and exciting stories of nature and numbers that will allow you to see the universe in a new way.

The World Science Festival (WSF) is an innovative multi-media organization that produces original live and digital content straddling the arenas of science, technology, the arts, media, performance and education. With the goal of radically transforming public perceptions of science, WSF creates world-class programming, both live on stage and televised, featuring inspired collaborations, outstanding talent and novel production techniques that bring scientific discovery, insight and perspective to a broad general audience.

[MakatiMazz]

I’m a retired physics teacher. I used to use many of Brian’s examples from “The Elegant Universe” and “Fabric of the Cosmos” to explain Special and General Relativity. Thanks Brian!

[jonathanbyrdmusic]

Can anyone explain why it takes more rulers to measure the inside? I don't understand that.

[carlton]

Thank you Mr Brian Greene, this lecture means the world to me.
I'm an undergrad physics student and an older one now, and still an incomplete one. But I did get a solid foundation...from a certain few inspiring excellent professors...
However several years ago having long talks with an astute physicist friend of mine about physics got me started again.
I didn't get to a Relativity class in my first go round, -- set of courses completed .. I believe I can learn on my own because if the great quality of lessons online....yours is one such source for me..
Didn't Ralph Townes learn a lot of physics on his own, ( with some guidance from a professor at Columbia?)..before going on to invent the MASER??
ID rather learn physics than anything in the world, had a bit of a *rough start but I believe I can do this so thanks so very much !

[tgylfason]

These talks are phenomenally lucid. I wish the Great Courses company would take notice and offer to provide a further platform for Prof. Greene´s brilliant exposition of broad swaths of modern physics. Perhaps they already have.

[geoden]

I must thank you Brian. I have known of your work for many years but only recently come across Your Daily Equation. It has forced me to re-engage my recently 78 year old brain and it delights me! I will follow YDE from now on.

[periclesmelo]

Could you give a lesson about tensors?

[haimkohan]

Thank you from Israel. I am a yoga teacher, don't know much science yet read some science books here and there. This video helped me understand some general relativity. Thank you.

[johnnyboy-fv]

Thebottle of water with the hole in it the dropped was a great example of the equivalence principle you used.

[MillzTheAthlete]

I thought I ran out of time today, then I remembered it's all relative. It's always on time.

[mishaangelo]

This is the first time I have seen address to the obvious shortcomings of the rubber sheet analogy.

[kostasfykouras]

These series are amazing!!! Please consider making it a weekly thing after the lockdown ends.

[gedlangosz]

A beautifully clear introduction to GR. Thank you ever so much Prof Greene. May these talks continue for a long time to come, I'm learning so much.

[birendrachhotaray]

12:09, why didn't he think about a theory like Maxwell's field equations which care about the speed of light. Like one mass in the field of another mass.

[faresalhawaj]

Thank you YouTube for recommending this channel. Informative, direct, and excellent explanation.

[Dan-zqwt]

Professor Greene explains things so clearly. Just brilliant!

[charlesgantz]

Now you've covered Einstein's equations for the photoelectric effect, and the special and general relativities. I'd like to see the equations that started it all, first where he calculated Avogadro's number, and then where he calculated the equations of Brownian motion and proved the existence of atoms/molecules.

[vincentv.]

Finally someone who explains clearly a question noone answered me when I ask: if gravity is acceleration, why are we not now speeding at exponential times the speed of light? Because acceleration is also a change in curvature, not only a change of speed! Thank you professor Greene, these daily equations are just fantastic.

[io]

@16:01 Thankyou! Seeing this space-warp example settled a question that has been with me for some time.

[RC-uods]

Thanks to Brian Greene for this video

👍👍🙏🙏❤❤

[alexanderkrizel]

This is so awesome. Thank you for doing these videos. I have been meaning to ask for GR for a while. But I actually had a special request about it. Not just the equation, but also the QM equation and where the two don't relate (if that even makes sense). Thank you again for this.