Join us for this fascinating public lecture as we journey into the heart of relativity. This talk will explain how, from 1906 to 1910, Einstein decided that an experiment on light in moving water was “crucial” evidence for his relativity theory. At the same time, he secretly tried to win back his first girlfriend, despite being married.
Despite his great works of 1905, Einstein remained a government employee for years. And contrary to textbook stories, he wasn’t led to relativity by Michelson’s experiment, but by Fizeau’s experiment of 1851. Still, in 1905 he had not yet explained Fizeau’s experiment. But thanks to Max Laue, he realized that it was the “crucial test.” Meanwhile, three relatives of Einstein’s first girlfriend, Marie Winteler, were murdered, and he decided to go back to her. This is a talk on history of physics. Prof. Alberto Martinez will explain why the speed of light in moving water became essential to Einstein, and why, at the same time, he decided to go back to the love of his life, despite being married.
Prof. Alberto Martinez is a professor of history of science at UT Austin. He is the author of seven books, including Kinematics: The Lost Origins of Einstein’s Relativity (Johns Hopkins, 2009), Science Secrets: The Truth about Darwin’s Finches, Einstein’s Wife, and Other Myths (University of Pittsburgh, 2011), and Burned Alive: Giordano Bruno, Galileo and the Inquisition (Reaktion/ University of Chicago, 2018). He is now finishing a historical novel about Einstein, designed to be more accurate than any biography. https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/history/faculty/aam829
Event Details
Date/Time:
-
Date:Friday, October 18, 2024 - 1:30pm to 3:00pm
Location:
Howey Physics building Lecture Hall 4
