Lonny Young

A Question of Time: the Dissemination of Einstein's Theories of Time Through Print, 1905-1979 Lonny Young

For most people, time is something that they observe day in and day out ticking off at a regular rate. What very few people outside of the scientific community realize is that time is anything but passing at a regular, constant rate. Rather, as Einstein's theories show, time passes as different rates depending on one's velocity, rate of acceleration, and the strength of the gravitational field they are in. This work examines the role of print sources in disseminating Einstein's formulation of time as found in his two theories of relativity. The findings show that introductory college physics text books, popular books, magazines, and newspapers failed to effectively disseminate Einstein's theories. However, because of their target audience, cost, and editorial requirements, these sources can hardly be blamed for the general public's ignorance on this topic.