Einstein exhibit

I sent notification of this Einstein exhibit to friends and family in LA...

Making its only West Coast appearance at the Skirball, Einstein is the most comprehensive presentation ever mounted on the life and theories of the greatest scientist of the twentieth century. This landmark exhibition—which inaugurates the Skirball's new Winnick Hall—explores the legacy of Albert Einstein (1879-1955) not only as a scientific genius who reconfigured our concepts of space and time, but also as a complex man engaged in the social and political issues of his era. It examines the phenomenon of his fame and his enduring status as a global icon whose likeness has become virtually synonymous with genius. The Skirball's presentation of Einstein coincides with the international centennial celebration, in 2005, of Einstein's annus mirabilis—his "miracle year" of 1905—when, at the age of 26, he proved the existence and sizes of molecules, explained light as both particles and waves, and created the special theory of relativity, part of which links matter and energy in the revolutionary equation E=mc2.

Jim Dellisanti has since attended. His report...

Hey Everyone,

I just went to this exhibit this weekend. The explanations and demonstrations of Einstein's theories are so down to Earth, even I understood them. They really fascinated me, absorbing all of my attention and focus to glean their significance. Several assistants explain the theories, giving demos to help visitors understand. There is also a 15 minute documentary on his life, and many facsimiles and originals of his note pages and work.

The demo I especially identified with is the Newton vs. Einstein view of gravity. Newton explained gravity as an instaneous force from the Sun, F=ma, whereas Einstein said gravity was acceleration, a naturally occuring result of when large masses warp the time-space continuum. As it turns out, Einstein was right, and his corrections for gravity changes are used in all orbit mechanics and GPS applications today. Fascinating stuff. I've never been able to explain why gravity exists. And Newtons law used to provide some insight, but definitely cannot explain gravity. Which this exhibit helped clarify for me. This demo is one that you don't want to miss. Also, there are several descriptions of experiments that demonstrate time slowing as one approaches the speed of light. Again, this was a complete surprise to me, that there exists proof that clocks on a plane can actually run slower than on the ground. I guess this appeals to my science fiction side, except this is not fiction.

I highly, highly, highly recommend the exhibit if you can attend.