Is General Relativity Proven And Can You Explain It To Me

Can we prove Einstein's general relativity theory wrong?

Probably no more than we can prove that Newton was wrong. Both Newton and Einstein have been experimentally validated countless times but it is recognized that both theories are incomplete. Newton works well enough that we can navigate spacecraft from one planet to another and Einstein works well enough that we can design satellite based navigation systems, such as GPS, that work and interpret astronomical phenomena such as gravitational lensing. The problem is that neither theory is a “Theory Of Everything”. Newtonian mechanics fails when speeds approach the speed of light and Einstein does not unify gravitation with the other forces nor does it unify classical and quantum physics where there are areas of direct conflict. Einstein knew this with the result that he sought a “Unified field theory” for the rest of his life. I think the difficulty arises from a lack of appreciation of what a scientific theory is. Scientific theories are models of behavior while they suggest possible underlying mechanisms they usually do not unambiguously identify them. Scientific theories describe what things do but do not describe what things are.Space-time curvature is a mathematical construct that successfully predicts experimental and observational outcomes in many instances but it implies the existence of higher dimensions which have never been directly observed. Does this mean that Einstein is wrong or just that reality is more complex than his theory.

How are theories such as that of general relativity proved (Is it some type of mathematics)? How can I prove a theory about space or time (If it can't be proved then under what circumstances it will be accepted)?

A simple algorithm of scientific method looks like this:1. Observe some aspect of the universe.2. Invent a tentative description, called a hypothesis, that is consistent with what you have observed.3. Use the hypothesis to make predictions.4. Test those predictions by experiments or further observations and modify the hypothesis in the light of your results.5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until there are no discrepancies between theory and experiment and/or observation.Thus, once you have a hypothesis you need to make predictions and test them by experiments. For example, according to the general theory of relativity matter warps space-time. Based on this Einstein made a prediction that there would be a change in position of stars as they passed near the Sun on the Celestial Sphere.  The observations were performed in May 1919 by Arthur Eddington and his collaborators during a total solar eclipse so that the stars near the Sun could be observed and the observations were in accordance with the prediction.Pic: One of Eddington's photograph in 1919.Source for scientific method: What is the ``scientific method''?

What is Einstein's theory of relativity explained simply (I am a 16 year old)?

Issac Newton found out the reaction of gravity on other bodies.... but never the origin of gravity. Einstein, in his theory of relativity, actually found out the origin of gravity.According to Einstein's Theory of Relativity, space and time are the same thing and can be represented by a plane. Now, any mass that is kept on this plane, bends the plane. To make it simpler, lets take a cellophane paper and keep a metal ball on it... the cellophane paper bends. That is gravity ! This picture perfectly represents the above scenario:​The more the mass of the body, the more is the bend in space and time. This picture illustrates the different curvatures of space due to bodies of different masses:​Now, how do we prove its gravity? Lets again take a cellophane paper and keep a metal ball on it. The cellophane paper bends. Now, lets take a smaller metal and keep it near the bigger one. You will observe the smaller ball moving towards the bigger one due to the curvature of the cellophane paper. Doesn't it look like gravity? In space-time plane, that is gravity! Now, if we throw the smaller ball in a certain trajectory around the bigger one, it will revolve around. This picture illustrates the above scenario:​Einstein's Theory of Relativity even represents another thing.The speed of light - 299,792,458 km/s, is the cosmic limit. No body can achieve the speed of light. You can achieve 99.99999999999 % (you can add as many 9 s as you want after the decimal) of the speed of light, but never the last decimal. Another aspect of relativity is that the faster you move through space, the slower you move through time.And I think thats enough for your... or rather our age! I am Spandan Mallick (14 years old) and relativity is in my bones... science is my religion!

Has Einstein’s theory of relativity been proven?

The Theory of Special Relativity is logically derived from two bold postulates which are as presented below:-All laws of nature have the same form in all inertial frames.Speed of Light has the same value in all inertial frames of reference.These postulates are based on Michelson Morley experiment on interferometer which failed to find changes in the speed of light due to increase in the speed of the observer. Maxwell has derived the speed of light as c=1/√(εμ).There is no concept of speed of observer inertial frame in this speed of light. Hence, as all laws of nature have the same form in all inertial frames, the speed of light should also have the same value in all inertial frames as Maxwell's equations and derivations are also a part of laws of nature. This has been empirically proved by Michelson Morley experiment. The special relativity follows from this. Hence, it is based on a logical basis.Based on these two postulates, Albert Einstein derived that measurable length or space do contracts when one travels comparable to the speed of light. In addition, measurable time period dilates when one tries to measure it based on two synchronized clocks. Even mass increases when travelling at high speeds and approaches infinity for speeds close to the speed of light.The concept of time dilation has been empirically proved by time delay in decay of subatomic particles when travelling at high speeds. Time dilation has also been empirically proved by large atomic clocks which were travelled in aeroplanes for considerably long period of time.Even our GPS enabled smartphones won't work properly if relativity effects are not taken into consideration. Even the TV screens of CRT picture tubes were designed in a way to take relativity effects into consideration. One cannot do any experiment in a closed compartment of a swiftly moving train to tell whether the train is moving or at still.Hence, special relativity has been empirically proved. Sufficient experiment is needed to disprove the same.Nevertheless, there is a concept of philosophical scepticism in science and technology. This means that any theory has the tendency of being disproven by sufficient experimental evidence. Theory of Special and General Relativity have also suppressed few fundamental questions. One can go through the following answer to know more about such fundamental suppression:- I.P. K.R. Hirwani's answer to Has Einstein’s theory of relativity been proven?

Why are Einstein Theories of Special and General relativity still called Theories, if they have been proven multiple times?

Scientific usage and street usage in the English language are different.Outside of science, the word theory means a hypothesis.In scientific usage theory means a structure or model with explanatory and predictive power. Its predictions can be amply verified; it will still be called a theory.Usually a proven part of a theory is called a law: likespecial relativity: inertial reference frames are equivalent and the speed of light is a constant.general relativity: local equivalence (in an infinitesimal part of spacetime) of gravity and acceleration governed by its covariant field equation, and geodesic paths if no non-gravitational forces are present.These, or individual parts of these, could be called laws.The translation into street language is that laws are facts. And established theories are facts.Mathematics, often called the Queen of Sciences, has a related usage. It uses theory to mean a mathematical structure, generally a set of axioms and the logically proven consequences of them.So the accumulation of such mathematical facts is called a theory. So you have the ZF Set Theory, Number Theory, etc. What is called conjecture in mathematics is similar to a hypothesis in the rest of science.Number Theory holds that the differences between the squares of successive nonnegative integers are the successive odd positive integers. It’s a fact: you can prove it with a little reasoning and algebra. (It’s a pretty trivial result, but it’s a very small part of Number Theory.)But dude, says the theory denier, “it’s just a theory! You may say numbers do that, but I know a guy who disputes that. He’s a CPA and he knows number stuff real good. In fact he squared the circle, but the mathematical establishment won’t let him publish the results! And he says that there’s no way you can frickin tell me that’s true for ALL integer squares!”Some people with an agenda rely on confusing theories with hypotheses.So using the word theory to mean unproven when it is used in a scientific usage is just plain wrong.

Is Einstein's theory of relativity proven? What is wrong with it?

No theory can be proven, it can only be disproven. But both Einstein’s theories of Relativity (Special and General) have resisted a century of enthusiastic attempts at disproof. Many clever people have not liked them at all, and done their best to undermine them, without success. So the commonest view is that they are correct - so far as they go.But they are limited. They do not describe the universe completely. Particularly in extreme conditions such as those near Black Holes or at the start of the universe, they are not a complete description of the universe.So my view would be that they are a correct description of the universe for any practical purpose that I can make use of, and indeed for any theoretical purpose except in extreme conditions I will never encounter.