Relativity

Danielle Struck

Tara Phillips

Fridays 1-2

Relativity: High Creativity within Science and Literature

After almost 20 years of creative contemplation and research, Einstein finalized and published The Meaning of Relativity which popularized his theory of relativity. Up until this time, the accepted principles of physics were based on Newtonian laws, which depended upon an absolute frame of reference in which all motion in the universe could be measured (Kevles). However, physicists began to realize that in extreme conditions these laws broke down, and Einstein explained this discrepancy through relativity. He proposed that motion creates relative frames of reference that can experience time differently. Hence, time is not constant. The twin paradox is a classic example to help conceptualize his theory. Imagine twin sisters, and one is an astronaut who undergoes a ten year trip to Mars travelling near the speed of light. When she returns home, her twin sister has aged ten years but she has only aged five years. Respectively, they both experienced ten years; but time was running at a slower rate for the astronaut than for her sister, because she was moving at such a fast speed (Lasky). So the perspective of moving objects is not necessarily absolute and varies relatively for each frame of reference, including time.

Einstein’s theory explained many extraordinary phenomena like the unusual orbital motion of Mars and the bending of light around the Sun, but it didn’t appear to make much of a difference in everyday situations (Kevles). While some critics may argue relativity was incapable of being understood or appreciated by the majority of people, it is interesting to note that similar conceptual themes underlying the theory were being expressed artistically. Like Einstein, during this time, many avant-garde artists and writers were questioning traditional conventions, manipulating perspective and concerned with the relative experience of time.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Einstein_1921_by_F_Schmutzer.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oQGnxFXdbw

In Modernist America, an innovative spirit transpired in both science and literature. Einstein’s theory challenged the academically accepted Newtonian physics and many Modernist writers, like Dos Passos, were manipulating form and questioning traditional styles. Dos Passos stylistically experimented in The 42nd Parallel by writing through four different platforms: character storylines, stream of conscious Camera Eyes, Newsreels, and biographies.

High creativity in both academic fields also caused scientists and artists to look beyond perceptions and attempted to understand relative experience. The theory of relativity rejected the idea of an absolute reference and attempted to understand how different frames of reference altered experience (Miller). Artists and writers were also struggling with this concept of perspective and attempting to portray how reality is experienced and altered by an observer. For example, in Passing, Larsen purposefully plays with perspective by creating an unreliable narrator. Everything is written through the lens of Irene and her memory, and by doing so, the reader can only can see through this limited frame of reference. But if the novel had been written by a different perspective, for example Clare or an omniscient 3rd person narrator, the reader would have experienced a very different story; possibly, we would have known much more about the true ending of the novel.

Lastly, the three dimensions of motion were typically considered to be left/right, up/down, forward/backward, but Einstein’s theory of relativity proposed a fourth dimension: time (Lasky). By doing so, time is considered variable and relative. It seems that many of the works we have read also deal with this concept of altered time through non-linear narratives, especially in Their Eyes Were Watching God. Zora Neale Hurston starts with Janey returning from burying the dead and ends right from the start. Time is cyclical and the story does not follow the traditional chronological format. Time is not consistent, but fluid and changing.

Usually, science and literature are considered to be on opposite ends of the spectrum and are often pitted against each other. It may not be the case that writers, such as Dos Passos and Hurston, interacted or exchanged ideas with scientists like Einstein; however, there was a common thread and underlying question of relative experience that connected these supposedly opposite academic spheres. And the interdisciplinary approach to understanding relativity during Modernism helps further understand the deeper ideas underlying the times.

Questions:

1. 

   https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4c/Les_Demoiselles_d'Avignon.jpg

   How might have this theme of relative perspective had a similar role when considering art? In particular, could the role of relativity play a role when looking at Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon?
2. Do you think it is important to consider this interdisciplinary relationship between art and science? Are there implications when trying to draw connections between these two spheres?

Works Cited

Kevles, Daniel J. "Albert Einstein: Relativity, War, and Fame." (n.d.): n. pag. Albert Einstein: Relativity, War, and Fame. Princeton University Press. Web.

Lasky, Ronald. "How Does Relativity Theory Resolve the Twin Paradox?" Scientific American. N.p., 10 Mar. 2003. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.

Miller, Arthur. "Two Worlds As One." Introduction. Einstein, Picasso Space, Time, and the Beauty That Causes Havoc. N.p.: n.p., 2001. N. pag. NY Times. Web.