How Curved Spacetime Works | Gravity & Relativity Explainer

Questions are welcome, but fringe-science comments — like insisting that gravity can be explained as the Earth expanding, or buoyancy, or massive photons, or "electric universe" nonsense, etc. — are not (sorry). General relativity is one of the most battle-tested theories in physics, for over 100 years now. If you think you have a better theory, go ahead and evangelize that pseudoscience in your own video.

[bendybruce]

I come back to this video every now and again just as a quick refresher. It really is that good.

[SoftxBunny]

This is exactly why I make sure that I'm always subscribed to Edward Current.
Checkmate, prior knowledge! 🕶️🤙

[Bengedoes]

I’ve been watching these kind of relativity videos for hours, but this one explains it the most clearly!

[fireflyf]

Great video with simplified explanations!

I'm thinking about getting back into making videos, and unfortunately it's because someone I used to respect (Neil deGrasse Tyson) has started making videos that give information that isn't simplified, it's simply wrong.

The two videos in question are one talking about the rocket equation, and the other about oxygen in rockets. The two main points he mentions that I have issues with are:

1) The SRBs on the shuttle/SLS burn atmospheric oxygen, and are dropped once the atmosphere is too thin because they don't get enough oxygen.

I knew in 3rd grade, January 28 1986, that the SRBs didn't burn atmospheric oxygen. I didn't know HOW they could do this, but I knew this meant that once they started burning, they wouldn't stop until the fuel ran out.

2) the heavier the payload, you'll need exponential more fuel to start. This is harder to explain in detail why it's wrong, but it's not the payload mass that leads to exponential fuel, but rather the velocity (and more specifically the delta V) required that leads to that exponential fuel. If you need double the payload mass to the same orbit (generally, the same velocity), you just double the rocket; engines, fuel and all. However, to double the fuel a rocket holds, if you double the tank size, you actually end up with less "dry" mass of tank, because the surface area of the tank decreases relative to the volume of the fuel.

Anyway, I was worried I was going to have to get Relativity involved to explain this part, but I think I can do it with simpler equations.

[junaidgurmani]

If earth is accelerating upward then what happens to the person on the other side of earth? If earth is pushing one person upward then should it not be going away from the person on the other side of earth?

[sghrd]

One of the clearest explanation on this topic. Good job.

[JFJ]

No matter how many videos I watch on spacetime curvature, I still don't get it

[gorillaguerillaDK]

Checkmate Physics! 😉
Brilliant video - a lot better explained than what my Physics teacher did so many moons ago….

[tenthlegionstudios]

One of the best explanations. Thank you! puts together many of your good points from previous videos in a more concise way with clean animations.

[Eliphas_Leary]

Generally a good video by a very special person.

[Modenut]

Fantastic. Check mate, atheists!

Wait...

[pietro]

This video kind of broke my brain -- which means im going to come back to multiple times until it all sinks in. Best explanation of space-time ive yet seen.

[fisherguzzi]

Hey Edward Current. First and glad to see his post

[dean-isa-fool]

I LOVE your graphics. I’ve watched lots of high production value videos on this topic and I found yours to be the most intuitive by far. Thank you!

[cetyl]

Ok finally I think I get it. Time and space are the same thing. It's just so mind blowing how we're (on earth) moving along through time (or so we think) but constantly curving into space. But because mass (earth) has electromagnetic forces that repel (accelerate) us "upwards" we are pushed back into moving only through time. So electromagnetism (on earth) keeps us moving through only time... otherwise we'd end up moving only through space and time would end existing to us 🤯

[vanderslagmulders]

this was extremely satisfying to watch after having gone through 50% of the relativity playlist on pbs spacetime. i don’t mean by that to burn them, but your video is, to me, a total noob, the optimal compromise between theory and overall concept in a nutshell. ill still have to view it some more times, and will continue to check other videos as well, but this was extremely helpful.

[neilsampson]

OK, but how does this explain the way the PrayerMAX 5000 works?

BTW, do you still have any left in stock? I can pay the entire 420 up front.

[konevthebeast]

Your original space time stretcher video was very helpful for understanding non inertial reference frames.

[awatt]

My theory of relativity is that weight increases relative to distance carried.


I'll get my coat....

[invisired]

Caramba que explicação sensacional! Parabéns