Next on NOVA: "Einstein's Big Idea"

http://www.pbs.org/nova/einstein/

Broadcast: October 11, 2005, 8-10 p.m. ET/PT
(NOVA airs Tuesdays on PBS at 8 p.m. Check your local listings as
dates and times may vary.)

Exactly 100 years ago, Albert Einstein grappled with the implications
of his revolutionary special theory of relativity and came to a
startling conclusion: mass and energy are one, related by the
formula E = mc2. In "Einstein's Big Idea," NOVA dramatizes the
remarkable story behind this equation. Based on David Bodanis's
bestselling book E = mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous
Equation, the program explores the lives of the men and women who
helped develop the concepts behind each term in the equation: E for
energy; m for mass; c for the speed of light; and 2 for "squared,"
the multiplication of one number by itself. Like a multi-plot novel
building to a climactic scene, "Einstein's Big Idea" traces the
stories of a fascinating range of characters.

Here's what you'll find online:

Inquiry & Articles

The Legacy of E = mc2
Einstein's big idea has been enormously influential, in ways
that reach far beyond the purely scientific.

The Producer's Story
Filmmaker Gary Johnstone describes how creativity fuels both art
and science.

The Equation Today
Three young physicists contemplate how a 100-year-old equation
figures into their careers.

Einstein the Nobody
The patent clerk's career prospects looked bleak just before his
"miracle year" of 1905.

Genius Among Geniuses
To rank with Newton or Einstein, you have to reinvent the way we
see the world.

Relativity and the Cosmos
Examine what many consider Einstein's greatest achievement --
general relativity.

Interactives, Audio, & More

E = mc2 Explained
Hear how 10 top physicists describe the equation in a few
minutes or less.

The Power of Tiny Things
How much energy does a paper clip pack? Test your intuition in
this quiz.

Ancestors of E = mc2
Meet the visionary scientists whose experiments paved the way
for Einstein.

Einstein Quotes
Seven thought-provoking statements from the world's most
famous scientist

The Light Stuff
Find out why the speed of light isn't always 186,000 miles
per second.

Time Traveler
Explore time dilation in this interactive version of
Einstein's "twin paradox."

Einstein Time Line
Follow the arc of Einstein's life from his birth in 1879 till
his death in 1955.

Also, a video preview of the program, Links & Books, the
Teacher's Guide, and more.

Special request and prize offer: Tell us what you think about
NOVA's "Einstein's Big Idea." Please share your thoughts about
the program and the companion Web site by responding to an
online survey. Your feedback will help ensure future projects
like this one are interesting and useful to all viewers. You'll
find the survey on our Einstein homepage. By completing the
survey you will be entered into a raffle to win one of 30 free
NOVA DVD prizes. Thank you!

http://www.pbs.org/nova/einstein/

NOVA

"Newton's Dark Secrets"

Tuesday, November 15, 2005 8 - 9:00 pm

He was the greatest scientist of his day, perhaps of all time.
But while Isaac Newton was busy discovering the universal law
of gravitation, he was also searching out hidden meanings in
the Bible and pursuing the covert art of alchemy. Join us as we
explore the strange and complex mind of Isaac Newton. (CC,
Stereo, DVI)

Log on to learn about Newton's greatest contributions.

http://www.pbs.org/nova/newton/

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology, abstract
gr-qc/0103044

Date (v1): Tue, 13 Mar 2001 22:38:05 GMT (18kb)
Date (revised v2): Fri, 6 Apr 2001 01:30:30 GMT (19kb)
Date (revised v3): Wed, 18 Aug 2004 17:39:22 GMT (23kb)
Date (revised v4): Thu, 5 Jan 2006 18:23:17 GMT (26kb)
Date (revised v5): Thu, 5 Jan 2006 21:09:33 GMT (190kb)

The Meaning of Einstein's Equation

Authors: John C. Baez, Emory F. Bunn

Comments: 23 pages LaTeX, 8 encapsulated Postscript figures; unlike the published version this includes a derivation of the inverse-square force law

Journal-ref: Amer. Jour. Phys. 73 (2005), 644-652

This is a brief introduction to general relativity, designed for both students and teachers of the subject. While there are many excellent expositions of general relativity, few adequately explain the geometrical meaning of the basic equation of the theory: Einstein's equation. Here we give a simple formulation of this equation in terms of the motion of freely falling test particles. We also sketch some of its consequences, and explain how the formulation given here is equivalent to the usual one in terms of tensors. Finally, we include an annotated bibliography of books, articles and websites suitable for the student of relativity.

http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0103044