June 30, 2011

On this date in 1905, Albert Einstein published “On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies,” in which he introduced special relativity.
Special relativity would lead an exciting, zesty life until it was killed in 1912 by general relativity, (who at that point was only a colonel). When asked why he killed special relativity the colonel replied: “Je ne sais pas… he just thought he was so special.”
When asked why he’d answered the first part of the question in French, he claimed that he hadn’t. There’s no real point to that part of the story, I just thought it was interesting. So. Um.