Collection
Relativity

Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity stands out as one of the great scientific breakthroughs of the last century. Its discovery required a radical re-imagining of how the universe is ordered, and has earned Einstein recognition as one of the most creative minds of all time. Simply stated, the theory says that reality depends upon the frame of reference of the observer. The repercussions of this statement are staggering: time and space are not, after all, fixed and absolute for all observers but depend upon their relative motion. After Einstein, our view of the physical universe would never be the same.

This collection explores the idea of relativity as a change of perspective. A change in vantage can help us move beyond accepted truth to gain new insight. Einstein is supposed to have dreamed up his theory by imagining what the world would look like if he were riding a beam of light. The exhibits gathered here discuss the local nature of truth and the validity of multiple perspectives.