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We are celebrating today the centenary of an experiment that demonstrated Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity – but what exactly is this theory?
Matthew Bothwell, astronomer at the University of Cambridge, spoke with Sky News to explain how the theory works and why it is important.
"I do not think it's an exaggeration to say that Einstein's general theory of relativity has completely revolutionized our understanding of the universe." Nothing in modern cosmology can be understood without the context. Einstein's theories, "Dr. Bothwell added.
Thanks to the experience 100 years ago todayspace itself was no longer considered the geometric plane suggested by Sir Isaac Newton, conceived by classical mechanics, as a table necessary for rolling a ball.
Instead, according to Einstein's theory, space and time were the same thing – a single construction that one could call space-time.
Matthew Bothwell is an astronomer at the University of Cambridge.
Gravity was now understood as a force modifying the geometric structure of space-time itself.
This meant that the light that ran around the sun during the 100 years ago had actually always been right, but that the space around the sun itself had been bent.
Professor Mike Cruise, resident of the Royal Astronomical Society, said: "A century ago, astronomers confirmed the general theory of relativity – transforming our understanding of the universe forever.
"The works of Einstein and Eddington are an incredible example of international collaboration in the aftermath of the First World War and a visible demonstration of how science can overcome obstacles in this turbulent period."
But even Einstein's theory of general relativity has not answered all the questions of the universe, mainly because it does not seem to work with quantum mechanics.
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