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Yeah, the whitepaper is very approachable. It's amazing how simple it is. Along similar lines (complex topics explained beautifully and simply by their creator

by zeven7 9y ago

Yeah, the whitepaper is very approachable. It's amazing how simple it is. Along similar lines (complex topics explained beautifully and simply by their creators), I recommend Relativity: The Special and General Theory[1] by the man himself. It's a great explanation of relativity without the need to have a strong math background. He explains it in the form of thought experiments, as only he could do. "What if you were in a cage in space with a rope tied to the top and it was being pulled upward by a giant at a constant acceleration (simulating gravity)? How would you perceive the world?" (Spoiler: This is gravity.) "What if you were on a spinning disk and had a ruler and tried to calculate pi?" "What if you were on a train moving really fast and two lightning bolts struck at the same time?" [1] https://www.amazon.com/Relativity-Special-General-Albert-Einstein/dp/1420946331/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1512784473&sr=8-1&keywords=the+special+and+general+theory https://www.amazon.com/Relativity-Special-General-Albert-Ein...

mrschwabe 9y ago
Difference is that Bitcoin actually works, Relativity on the other hand remains a theory.
- pablobaz 9y ago
  A theory that makes verifiable predictions is one that "works". Relativity fulfills this criteria.
- cdancette 9y ago
  Relativity is hugely useful for scientists and make predicted with extreme accuracy. So it's a theory, but one could say that it is much more useful than Bitcoin. Btw, Bitcoin also works based on mathematical theories. If someone were to prove P = NP, Bitcoin doesn't work any more, because I can now steal all your money. The current belief is P != NP, that's why people trust bitcoin, and crypto in general. But it's still a theory.
- 0x264 9y ago
  Says the guy who probably uses the GPS (one of the most visible application of Relativity) on his phone every other day. Like we don't already have enough problem with trolls on other sites, we now have them on HN. Sigh
- kpdxxx 9y ago
  It took me about three klicks to find out you're a flat earth troll. Please mods, delete him or at least his comment.
posterboy 9y ago
> "What if you were on a train moving really fast and two lightning bolts struck at the same time?" I read one of Albert Einstein's popular science on the same topic and folded when a completely paradox statement was justified by saying, welp you'll surely agree on this.

by zeven7 9y ago

mrschwabe 9y ago

Difference is that Bitcoin actually works, Relativity on the other hand remains a theory.

pablobaz 9y ago
A theory that makes verifiable predictions is one that "works". Relativity fulfills this criteria.
cdancette 9y ago
Relativity is hugely useful for scientists and make predicted with extreme accuracy. So it's a theory, but one could say that it is much more useful than Bitcoin. Btw, Bitcoin also works based on mathematical theories. If someone were to prove P = NP, Bitcoin doesn't work any more, because I can now steal all your money. The current belief is P != NP, that's why people trust bitcoin, and crypto in general. But it's still a theory.
0x264 9y ago
Says the guy who probably uses the GPS (one of the most visible application of Relativity) on his phone every other day. Like we don't already have enough problem with trolls on other sites, we now have them on HN. Sigh
kpdxxx 9y ago
It took me about three klicks to find out you're a flat earth troll. Please mods, delete him or at least his comment.

posterboy 9y ago

> "What if you were on a train moving really fast and two lightning bolts struck at the same time?" I read one of Albert Einstein's popular science on the same topic and folded when a completely paradox statement was justified by saying, welp you'll surely agree on this.