Courtesy: NASA

The world was buzzing over a rare solar eclipse Sunday, drawing billions of onlookers from Asia to the southwest United States.  For just a few minutes, the moon passed in front of the sun, darkening the Earth and providing a beautiful sight.  While most understand how an eclipse works, only some know it was the combo of an eclipse and a science genius that pushed our understanding to new levels. 

In late 1919, Albert Einstein immediately gained popularity after he proved, with the help of a total solar eclipse, light was affected by gravity.  This opened the door to what’s known as “general relativity.”  The Big Bang theory, black holes, and the concept of time travel are all related to “general relativity.”  Einstein’s ground-breaking work built the frame for modern scientists.  Had it not been for an eclipse and Einstein’s dedication to science, we could be living in an entirely different world, in theory and reality.

Professor Alan Lightman of MIT wrote an excellent piece on how the 1919 solar eclipse inspired Einstein and changed our understanding of science.  Please click HERE to read more!  Very neat!

Stay tuned for more from Beyond the Forecast…

Posted under Hometown Weather, Weather, Weblogs