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In 1692, Newton wrote: "That gravity should be innate, inherent and essential to matter so that one body may act upon another at a distance through a vacuum, without the mediation of anything else by and through which their action or force may be conveyed from one to another, is to me so great an absurdity that I believe no man who has in philosophical matters any competent faculty of thinking can ever fall into it. Gravity must be caused by an agent acting constantly according to certain laws, but whether this agent be material or immaterial is a question I have left to the consideration of my readers". One of them who, just over 200 years later, picked up the baton of Newton was Albert Einstein. His General Theory of Relativity, which had its centenary in 2015, opened up new windows on our comprehension of Nature, disclosed new, previously unpredictable, phenomena occurring when relative velocities dramatically change in intense gravitational fields reaching values close to the speed of light and, for the first time after millennia of speculations, put Cosmology on the firm grounds of empirically testable science. This Special Issue was dedicated to this grand achievement of the human thought.

General Theory of Relativity

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Astrophysics --- General relativity (Physics) --- Gravitation --- Gravitation --- Quantum gravity --- Congresses. --- Congresses. --- Congresses. --- General theory of relativity. --- Congresses.

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What can fashionable ideas, blind faith, or pure fantasy possibly have to do with the scientific quest to understand the universe? Surely, theoretical physicists are immune to mere trends, dogmatic beliefs, or flights of fancy? In fact, acclaimed physicist and bestselling author Roger Penrose argues that researchers working at the extreme frontiers of physics are just as susceptible to these forces as anyone else. In this provocative book, he argues that fashion, faith, and fantasy, while sometimes productive and even essential in physics, may be leading today's researchers astray in three of the field's most important areas-string theory, quantum mechanics, and cosmology.Arguing that string theory has veered away from physical reality by positing six extra hidden dimensions, Penrose cautions that the fashionable nature of a theory can cloud our judgment of its plausibility. In the case of quantum mechanics, its stunning success in explaining the atomic universe has led to an uncritical faith that it must also apply to reasonably massive objects, and Penrose responds by suggesting possible changes in quantum theory. Turning to cosmology, he argues that most of the current fantastical ideas about the origins of the universe cannot be true, but that an even wilder reality may lie behind them. Finally, Penrose describes how fashion, faith, and fantasy have ironically also shaped his own work, from twistor theory, a possible alternative to string theory that is beginning to acquire a fashionable status, to "conformal cyclic cosmology," an idea so fantastic that it could be called "conformal crazy cosmology."The result is an important critique of some of the most significant developments in physics today from one of its most eminent figures.

Quantum theory. --- Physics. --- String models. --- Models, String --- String theory --- Nuclear reactions --- Natural philosophy --- Philosophy, Natural --- Physical sciences --- Dynamics --- Quantum dynamics --- Quantum mechanics --- Quantum physics --- Physics --- Mechanics --- Thermodynamics --- 2020 Nobel Prize in physics. --- 2020 Nobel laureates in physics. --- 2020 Nobel laureates. --- Albert Einstein. --- Andrea Ghez. --- Einstein. --- Reinhard Genzel. --- Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. --- Stockholm. --- black holes. --- general relativity. --- general theory of relativity. --- relativity.

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First published in 1922 and based on lectures delivered in May 1921, Albert Einstein's The Meaning of Relativity offered an overview and explanation of the then new and controversial theory of relativity. The work would go on to become a monumental classic, printed in numerous editions and translations worldwide. Now, The Formative Years of Relativity introduces Einstein's masterpiece to new audiences. This beautiful volume contains Einstein's insightful text, accompanied by important historical materials and commentary looking at the origins and development of general relativity. Hanoch Gutfreund and Jürgen Renn provide fresh, original perspectives, placing Einstein's achievements into a broader context for all readers.In this book, Gutfreund and Renn tell the rich story behind the early reception, spread, and consequences of Einstein's ideas during the formative years of general relativity in the late 1910s and 1920s. They show that relativity's meaning changed radically throughout the nascent years of its development, and they describe in detail the transformation of Einstein's work from the esoteric pursuit of one individual communicating with a handful of colleagues into the preoccupation of a growing community of physicists, astronomers, mathematicians, and philosophers.This handsome edition "es extensively from Einstein's correspondence and reproduces historical documents such as newspaper articles and letters. Inserts are featured in the main text giving concise explanations of basic concepts, and short biographical notes and photographs of some of Einstein's contemporaries are included. The first-ever English translations of two of Einstein's popular Princeton lectures are featured at the book's end.

General relativity (Physics) --- History --- Einstein, Albert, --- Relativistic theory of gravitation --- Relativity theory, General --- Gravitation --- Physics --- Relativity (Physics) --- Albert Einstein. --- Generalization of Gravitation Theory. --- On the Cosmologic Problem. --- Princeton. --- The Meaning of Relativity. --- astronomers. --- biographical notes. --- experimental tests. --- formative years. --- general relativity. --- general theory of relativity. --- gravitational field equations. --- gravitational waves. --- lectures. --- mathematicians. --- modern physics. --- philosophers. --- physicists. --- relativistic cosmology. --- relativity theory. --- relativity. --- scientists. --- special relativity. --- special theory of relativity. --- theories of relativity. --- theory of relativity.

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Einstein said that the most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible. But was he right? Can the quantum theory of fields and Einstein's general theory of relativity, the two most accurate and successful theories in all of physics, be united into a single quantum theory of gravity? Can quantum and cosmos ever be combined? In The Nature of Space and Time, two of the world's most famous physicists-Stephen Hawking (A Brief History of Time) and Roger Penrose (The Road to Reality)-debate these questions.The authors outline how their positions have further diverged on a number of key issues, including the spatial geometry of the universe, inflationary versus cyclic theories of the cosmos, and the black-hole information-loss paradox. Though much progress has been made, Hawking and Penrose stress that physicists still have further to go in their quest for a quantum theory of gravity.

Astrophysics. --- Cosmology. --- Quantum theory. --- Space and time. --- Space and time --- Quantum theory --- Astrophysics --- Cosmology --- Physics --- Physical Sciences & Mathematics --- Atomic Physics --- Astronomical physics --- Quantum dynamics --- Quantum mechanics --- Quantum physics --- Space of more than three dimensions --- Space-time --- Space-time continuum --- Space-times --- Spacetime --- Time and space --- Astrofysica --- Astronomische fysica --- Fysica [Astronomische ] --- Kosmologie --- Physics [Astronomical ] --- Physique astronomique --- Ruimte en tijd --- Temps et espace --- Tijd en ruimte --- Universe --- Astronomy --- Deism --- Metaphysics --- Cosmic physics --- Mechanics --- Thermodynamics --- Fourth dimension --- Infinite --- Philosophy --- Space sciences --- Time --- Beginning --- Hyperspace --- Relativity (Physics) --- Theory of relativity. Unified field theory --- Espace et temps --- Théorie quantique --- Astrophysique --- Cosmologie --- Space-time model --- 2020 Nobel Prize in physics. --- 2020 Nobel laureates in physics. --- 2020 Nobel laureates. --- Albert Einstein. --- Andrea Ghez. --- Einstein. --- Reinhard Genzel. --- Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. --- Stockholm. --- black holes. --- general relativity. --- general theory of relativity. --- relativity.