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 In today’s society, when most people think of the word “genius”, they think of Albert Einstein. Einstein was born in Germany in 1879. In 1901 he took a job at a Swiss Patent Office. During the time of his employment there, he produced the Theory of Relativity. He became famous almost overnight because of his famous E=mc2 equation. This equation, the Theory of Relativity, revolutionized the field of science. Introduced in 1905, this theory suggested, in essence, that time and distance is relative, because the speed of light does not change, and speed is time over distance. Also, the gravity of a very large object (like a star) warps the time-space around it. This theory changed the way scientists think, and has enhanced our understanding of many things, including GPS satellites, black holes, and gravity and its relationship to distortion. The Global Positioning System (GPS) has become essential to both the common person navigating a road trip and the military and pilots navigating flights and military maneuvers. The GPS has 12 satellites, 4 of which are always visible at any given point. All GPS satellites have an atomic clock that is accurate up to the nanosecond. An airplane with a GPS receiver picks up the signal, and then it re-transmits the signal back to Earth. This entire process is accurate up to 30 nanoseconds. Because of the Theory of Relativity, the clocks on the satellites tick faster than clocks on the ground by about 38 micro-seconds per day. While this sounds insignificant, it is a big deal, because if the Theory of relativity were not taken into account, the error in the global positioning would accumulate at 10 km a day. In 10 days, the GPS would have an error of 100 km. (“GPS and Relativity”) The Theory of Relativity has not only helped the lay-person, but the scientists too. While Einstein himself never did any research on black holes, his formula, E=mc2 aided in the understanding of black holes. Black holes are essentially collapsed stars that create such an intense gravitational pull; they create a curve in time-space. This makes it so light rays can’t escape, instead they curve back in on themselves. Before Einstein discovered the Theory of Relativity, the notion of time-space curving was unheard of, but his work has enabled us to understand complex things like black holes. (Arora) His theory has also given us a better understanding of gravity and its relationship to distortion. Einstein proposed that because acceleration and gravity are equal, and because motion affects time and space measurements, then gravity should also affect the measurements of time and space. This means that the gravity of any mass has a warping effect. This is warping is not noticeable in objects on earth, but objects like the sun and other stars have a measurable warping effects. This was confirmed when light rays from distant starts were deflected by the sun’s gravity during an eclipse. (Lightman) Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity also points out the relationship between mass and energy. When energy in increased to accelerate an object, the object’s mass increases also. This means that it is impossible to accelerate an object to the speed of light, because that would require an infinite amount of energy. This indirectly led to the invention of the atom bomb. Using this principle, if the nucleus of a uranium atom is split into two separate nuclei that have a lesser mass, then an incredible amount of energy will be released. This is the atom bomb. (Hawking) Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity has given our society many advantages, including the GPS system, a greater understanding of black holes, a comprehension of the relationship between gravity and distortion, and the atom bomb. When Albert Einstein first introduced the Theory of Relativity to the world, I doubt he foresaw that his famous equation would be a household term, and that it would provide modern society with many new discoveries.

**Bibliography:**  Arora, Hans. "Einstein’s Theory of Relativity: Implications Beyond Science? — Science in Society." __Home — Science in Society__. 28 Jan. 2009 http://scienceinsociety.northwestern.edu/content/articles/2008/research-digest/student-papers/einstein/einstein2019s-theory-of-relativity-implications-beyond-  science. Dine, Michael. "Relativity." World Book Online Reference Center. 2004. World Book, Inc. http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar464240. Elsevier. "Nobel Lectures." __Nobelprize.org__. 28 Jan. 2009 http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~pogge/Ast162/Unit5/gps.html . This website gives a clear explanation of how the Theory of Relativity relates to the Global Positioning System. It provides clear and easy to understnad examples. Hawking, Stephen. "Hi-Tech - Digest - A brief history of relativity." __Hi-Tech__. 28 Jan. 2009 http://www.hi-tech.ournet.md/a_brief_history_of_relativity.html . Lightman, Alan. "NOVA | Einstein's Big Idea | Relativity (Lightman Essay) | PBS." __PBS__. 28 Jan. 2009 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/einstein/relativity/ . This essay explains the deffrent aspects of the Theory of Relativity. I also includes the history, and scientific advantages to the Theory.