Was Einstein Right? Putting General Relativity to the Test

This book is an examination of the way in which Einstein's general theory of relativity - the theory of gravitation and of space-time, has held up under today's exacting scrutiny of planetary probes, radio astronomy, atomic clocks and electronic super-computers. Clifford M. Will, who has devoted two decades to this question, brings to the general reader a full account of the people, ideas and machines that have put Einstein's theory to the test, covering tests from about 1960 to check the predictions of general relativity accurately and aims to find new predictions to check. He tells the story of relativity from the first faint photographs in 1919 confirming Einstein's prediction of the bending of starlight in the sun's gravitational field, to the design of the delicate gyroscopes now being prepared for a critical space shuttle experiment in the 1990s.

In a word, the answer is yes! According to Will, every test that physicists have been able to devise to date has yielded results consistent with the theory of general relativity. What is surprising is how well he is able to explain the implications of this highly complex theory without using any mathematics beyond geometry. He also shows why use of the most sophisticated technology available is required to measure the effects predicted by Einstein and his followers. All in all a pleasing book for the educated layperson who wishes to gain some insight into this most esoteric subject. Harold D. Shane, Mathematics Dept., Baruch Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.