[2011-Aug-30] Origin of Einstein elevator analogy story?

[Sean]

http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2353

The thing about Einstein getting the idea for relativity by picturing an elevator...when I read that I tried to find a source where Einstein himself talks about that. I can't find anything.

Can someone quote Einstein saying this (and source the quote)?

Thx

[Eisbreaker]

I think, in this comic, "they say" refers to the voices in Zach's head.

[Kimra]

Zach would never write something that isn't 100% accurate. Clearly Guest Sean isn't looking hard enough on the internet.

[Quintushalls]

This is absolutely true [citation needed]. I read it in some book which gave this example and related it to walking towards and away from a mirror. The concept is that you don't see your nose earlier than your eyes, even though your nose is directly in front of you. Even though the elevator was moving away, it appeared at the same time to his eyes and someone standing closer. This gave him the idea that space and time are relative to each other. On a side note, Einstein does not believe time travel is possible. Related, Super String theory was just debunked making it official. Slowing aging on the other hand, is totally accurate. I'm actually 150 years old and I look 25 [citation needed].

[Kaharz]

I assume Einstein got the idea of relativity from Galileo, since he was the first one recorded as proposing the basic principle of relativity.

[Oldrac the Chitinous]

In fact, Galileio made use of a train analogy in his explanation, too.

It didn't make much sense to people at the time, so the Church locked him up.

[Kaharz]

wait, I thought it was Xeno who used the train analogy and Galileo used an accelerating jet plane.

[Kimra]

But who made the time traveling phone booth analogy? That's the fundamental question.

[Kaharz]

But who made the time traveling phone booth analogy? That's the fundamental question.

Glaxos III of Antares station alpha, Mendel Quarter, in the year 6793 or 1920. Depending on your position in the time-space continuum.

[GUTCHUCKER]

So much blatant lies in this thread.

[Sahan]

So many.

[Phssthpok]

http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2353

The thing about Einstein getting the idea for relativity by picturing an elevator...when I read that I tried to find a source where Einstein himself talks about that. I can't find anything.

Can someone quote Einstein saying this (and source the quote)?

Thx

Einstein didn't use the word "elevator". He referred to "a spacious chest resembling a room", to which "is fixed externally a hook with rope attached", which "a being ... begins pulling ... with a constant force". i.e., an elevator. This is in Relativity: The Special and General Theory, Chapter 20, "The Equality of Inertial and Gravitational Mass as an Argument for the General Postulate of Relativity".