Albert Einstein 54 - summary Of General Theory Of Relativity Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

In 1916, Dr. Einstein published the final version
Of his long research and discoveries of ‘General Relativity',
In the prestigious Science Journal ‘Annalen Der Physik'.
His latest theory- a comprehensive work, was titled-
'The Foundations of the General Theory of Relativity'.
It had presage that could be tested and experimented.
Though the theory was simplified
To ‘Newton's Theory of Gravity';
It also pointed to the problems in Astronomy
For ‘weak gravitational fields and slowly moving objects'.
The same year Einstein published another paper entitled:
'Approximate Integration of the Field Equations of Gravitation'
In the 'Proceedings of the Prussian Academy of Sciences',
In which Einstein prophesied that gravitational waves could exist.

An interesting analogy was put forward as an explanation
For ‘General Relativity'- of a ‘Basketball' on a ‘Trampoline'!
'As the basketball sinks down in the middle, the surface
Of the trampoline curves gently upward toward the frame.
Now, if you throw a marble into the trampoline,
It will start to roll on the trampoline's curved surface.
The marble orbits the basketball, just like the Earth orbits the Sun.
The basketball tells the trampoline surface how to stretch,
While the trampoline tells the marble how to orbit.
If you used a bowling ball instead of a basketball,
The heavier bowling ball would curve the trampoline surface more,
And the radius of the marble's orbit would be smaller.
Similarly, the more massive a star,
The greater it curves spacetime around it.'

Working continuously on this topic
of ‘General Relativity', Einstein remarked:
'That he feared he would be consigned to a madhouse'
This is not surprising at all!
When you work on theories after theories, for years,
Trying to prove curvatures, bends, gravity and radiation,
With inputs and offshoots, from different scientists,
Then, the stress level can never be constant.
But what is remarkable is Dr. Einstein sustained it all,
And never gave up on his goal of his scientific quest.
Until the scientists experimented and confirmed his theory
Of General Relativity, he never rested his oars. Today,
It is an essential part of learning and training of every physicist
And the Big Bang model of the universe!

A Biographical Poem