The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean Einstein's Golden Moment
Sep 12, 2023
This podcast explores Albert Einstein's confirmation of his theory of relativity, the failed attempts to find the hypothetical planet Vulcan, the experiment that challenged Newton's laws of motion, Einstein's revolutionary contributions to science, and his emotional experience while solving the mystery of Mercury's orbit.
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Chaplin's Tuxedo Moment
- Charlie Chaplin joked about public perception when he told Einstein, "They cheer me because they understand me. They cheer you because no one understands you."
- The exchange illustrates how Einstein's fame rested on mystery, not widespread understanding of his work.
Science Validates Relativity
- Scientists verify relativity by testing its experimental predictions rather than relying on intuition.
- Repeated experimental matches gave relativity its authoritative status over time.
Le Verrier Predicts Neptune
- Le Verrier predicted Neptune by calculating the gravitational tug needed to explain Uranus's odd motion.
- Astronomers then found Neptune in the exact region he specified, a triumph for Newtonian prediction.