# What r some gud intros to Einstein and relativity?



## RamistThomist (Jun 20, 2007)

I was watching Farscape last year and it really opened my eyes to the wonders of natural revelation. Then I looked at the pictures in a National Geographic on relatively and it looked cool. What are some good laymen's intros to relativity and Einstein?


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## Hungus (Jun 20, 2007)

You could try the Feinman lectures on Physics, it is his Physics 1,2,3 lectures in book form. By the time you finish you will be the equivalent of Sophmore Physics.


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## toddpedlar (Jun 20, 2007)

Draught Horse said:


> I was watching Farscape last year and it really opened my eyes to the wonders of natural revelation. Then I looked at the pictures in a National Geographic on relatively and it looked cool. What are some good laymen's intros to relativity and Einstein?



Depends on how "layman" you want to go. The Feynman lectures are very high level for the average public, so unless you've got something more than the average physics background, I'd not start there.

For narrative introductions: 

Richard Wolfson has a decent book called, "Simply Einstein", which is fairly good - although it comes from a very clearly secular mindset cosmologically speaking, so you've got to sift through that. 

"Appearance and Reality" is a VERY excellent, more philosophical introduction to both Relativity and Quantum Physics that I use for a non-science majors introductory course that I teach. 

"Einstein 1905" is a historical book by John Rigden concerning the five papers in Einstein's "annus mirabilis", his "miracle year" in which he broke ground in five different subject areas, including special relativity. This is a very accessible, excellent history of those five papers - and the introduction to special and general relativity found therein is quite good.

A smidgen of mathematics, but otherwise quite basic:

"The Trail of Light" by Ralph Baierlein is a book written for humanities majors studying modern physics, and does a decent job of setting up some simple calculations. 

Einstein's own book, "Relativity, the Special and General Theories" is quite good, and quite accessible to the layman.

More mathematically inclined:

David Mermin's book, "It's About Time" is pretty decent, but it does require some working out of calculations. 

For the really mathematically inclined, who want to learn a LOT about relativity:

"Spacetime Physics", by Taylor and Wheeler is VERY good - and a book I'd teach sophomores out of if I had that semester of our intro sequence to teach.

Well, I didn't intend to be so effusive, but, hey, you asked  

Todd


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## RamistThomist (Jun 20, 2007)

thanks, Todd and Hungus.


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## Puritan Sailor (Jun 20, 2007)

toddpedlar said:


> Einstein's own book, "Relativity, the Special and General Theories" is quite good, and quite accessible to the layman.




Just start with Einstein himself. It's not too hard a read.


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## Scott (Jun 20, 2007)

Einstein's Relativity and the Quantum Revolution: Modern Physics for Non-Scientists, 2nd Edition (24 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture)

try getting these through interlibrary loan from your library


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## toddpedlar (Jun 20, 2007)

Scott said:


> Einstein's Relativity and the Quantum Revolution: Modern Physics for Non-Scientists, 2nd Edition (24 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture)
> 
> try getting these through interlibrary loan from your library



Yeah, that's Richard Wolfson's series (which is essentially the course he teaches at Middlebury, for which the book, "Simply Einstein" is one of the texts). He's a little goofy (kind of like Bob Ross, if any of you remember his painting show on PBS) but his explanations are very clear. 

Todd


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## Scott (Jun 20, 2007)

Also iTunes U has a course of physics that has a relativity component. It is by Prof. Richard Muller at UC Berkley. It looks like lectures 18-20 are on relativity, with 18 being the main one. So, if you want something for the iPod that could work. They are free.


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## Scott (Jun 20, 2007)

[deleted]


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## VictorBravo (Jun 20, 2007)

Scott said:


> Also iTunes U has a course of physics that has a relativity component. It is by Prof. Richard Muller at UC Berkley. It looks like lectures 18-20 are on relativity, with 18 being the main one. So, if you want something for the iPod that could work. They are free.



Wow. I had never heard of iTunes U. I'm floored. 

From other sources I've already listened to 4 semesters of seminary classes, a couple of semesters of economics, and a 60 hour-series on the history of the reformation, all during my commute. Plus I have reviewed five years of sermons from my own pastor (when we first joined our church), and countless hours of teaching from other fine pastors.

I was worried I would run out of things to listen to. It will never happen. The important thing is to stay focused.


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## RamistThomist (Jun 20, 2007)

Scott said:


> Also iTunes U has a course of physics that has a relativity component. It is by Prof. Richard Muller at UC Berkley. It looks like lectures 18-20 are on relativity, with 18 being the main one. So, if you want something for the iPod that could work. They are free.



ItunesU? Wha a resource it looks to be!


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