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The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity

In this paper Einstein presented his general theory of relativity. In it, he proposed a new way of thinking about gravity, showing that massive objects like planets and stars can bend space and time, which creates the effect we experience as gravity.

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Summary

Before Einstein, gravity was thought of as an invisible force that pulls objects toward each other, like Earth pulling a falling apple. Einstein’s theory offered a different explanation: massive objects like planets and stars warp the fabric of space and time around them, creating curves that guide the motion of other objects. Instead of being “pulled” by a force, objects like planets and light follow the curved paths shaped by these distortions. This idea of gravity as the bending of spacetime provided a new way to understand the universe and explained phenomena that Newton’s theory could not, such as the bending of starlight around the sun.

Einstein’s general theory of relativity transformed our understanding of gravity and became one of the most important achievements in modern physics. It opened the door to new ways of thinking about the universe, from the behavior of black holes to the expansion of the cosmos itself. The theory has been confirmed by many experiments and observations, and it remains a foundation of modern science, guiding our understanding of space, time, and the structure of the universe.

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