Initial Conditions: A Physics History Podcast

Was Einstein Wrong??


Listen Later

What is pseudoscience? The answer to that question is more difficult than you might think. In trying to answer the question, we can learn a lot more about what science is, how it is practiced, and what goes into producing new scientific knowledge. Based on the work of historian of science Michael Gordin and several collections in the Niels Bohr Library & Archives, this episode examines pseudoscientific theories based on Einstein’s theory of relativity. Some of the pseudoscientists included in the collection think that Einstein was flat-out wrong–that he missed some vital information or that his theory is simply too confusing and unintuitive to understand. If physicists largely agree that the theory of relativity isn’t quite intuitive, then maybe it makes sense to hear out these anti-Einsteinians to get a sense of how they understand science. Other individuals included in these collections agree with Einstein but push relativity in interesting directions. One tries to make a case for a 6,000 year old universe. Another tells us how to build a time machine to help Muhammad Ali meet Thomas Edison. We conclude with Ralph Hartley, a practicing and accomplished scientist. Hartley was born eight years after Einstein and never accepted his ideas about the universe, offering instead a much older explanation of how gravity works. Through these stories we’ll learn about what constitutes legitimate science. Unsurprisingly, real science meets the tests that scientists set for legitimacy.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Initial Conditions: A Physics History PodcastBy Niels Bohr Library & Archives

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

30 ratings


More shows like Initial Conditions: A Physics History Podcast

View all
The 365 Days of Astronomy by 365DaysOfAstronomy.org

The 365 Days of Astronomy

342 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

719 Listeners

Physics World Stories Podcast by Physics World

Physics World Stories Podcast

85 Listeners

Quanta Science Podcast by Quanta Magazine

Quanta Science Podcast

456 Listeners

Into the Impossible With Brian Keating by Big Bang Productions Inc.

Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

1,035 Listeners

The Common Descent Podcast by Common Descent

The Common Descent Podcast

663 Listeners

Physics World Weekly Podcast by Physics World

Physics World Weekly Podcast

75 Listeners

Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas by Sean Carroll | Wondery

Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

4,098 Listeners

Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe by iHeartPodcasts

Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe

2,273 Listeners

The Numberphile Podcast by Brady Haran

The Numberphile Podcast

446 Listeners

The Origins Podcast with Lawrence Krauss by Lawrence M. Krauss

The Origins Podcast with Lawrence Krauss

490 Listeners

Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal by Theories of Everything

Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal

36 Listeners

Why This Universe? by Dan Hooper, Shalma Wegsman

Why This Universe?

329 Listeners

The Joy of Why by Steven Strogatz, Janna Levin and Quanta Magazine

The Joy of Why

424 Listeners

The New Quantum Era by Sebastian Hassinger

The New Quantum Era

31 Listeners