100 years ago Einstein's theory of relativity shattered the world of physics Our comforting Newtonian ideas of space & time were replaced by bizarre & counterintuitive conclusions if you move at high speed time slows down space squashes up & you get heavier; travel fast enough & you could weigh as much as a jumbo jet be squashed thinner than a CD without feeling a thing
- & live for ever & that was just the Special Theory With the General Theory came even stranger ideas of curved space-time & changed our understanding of gravity & the cosmos This authoritative & entertaining Very Short Introduction makes the theory of relativity accessible & understandable Using very little mathematics Russell Stannard explains the important concepts of relativity from Emc 2 to black holes & explores the theory's impact on science & on our understanding of the universe ABOUT THE SERIES The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly Our expert authors combine facts analysis perspective new ideas & enthusiasm to make interesting & challenging topics highly readable