Story idea for you

[Warren Toda]

As the year 2015 draws to an end, I don't think a single Canadian newspaper bothered to mark the International Year of Light. But there's still a chance for newspapers to redeem themselves.

In November this year, the world will mark the 100th anniversary of a physics milestone, Albert Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. The theory describes how mass bends space-time which produces an effect we call "gravity".

Photographers refer to this theory all the time, for example, "Geez, this arena is so dark it's like a Black Hole!" This, of course, alludes to Einstein's theory that a very dense mass can bend space-time so much that that not even light can escape its gravitational force.

Personally, I make frequent use the Theory of General Relativity: "The picture is out of focus? It's not my fault. The stadium had too much gravity and it bent the light." 


Your assignment is to photographically illustrate the Theory of General Relativity. The easy way is to take a picture with the lens cap on and call it a photo of a Black Hole, but that's been done before.

This could be a fun story if you can figure out how to shoot it and how to explain the theory to your readers.

[Jack Simpson]

Are you not being discriminatory, Warren?   Think of all of the viscously overexposed, white holes, that you're forgetting about!

 

Jack

[Warren Toda]

Just wanted to say "I told you so."

The first post (above) was written eleven days after scientists first detected a space-time ripple but they weren't sure what to make of it. Today, they announced that they had indeed detected gravity waves which is what Einstein predicted 100 years and two months ago in his Theory of General Relativity. Yes there is a Canadian connection but what Canadian paper cares about that.