“No Professor, I never said it cannot be measured, but the results depend on where you are”.
The young scientist removed his pinzenez pounding the equation-filled blackboard. A cloud of chalk-dust settled on his jacket.
“Ludicrous, young man. Your theories are like putting the cart in front of the horse, my chronographs are most precise”.
“But in this gedänkenexperiment, a clear consequence is that time is relative. This is the most beautiful way to make electromagnetism come together without any ether”.
“Your gedänken is what’s wrong, Dr. Einstein”.
Albert sighed, knowing in his heart that time would prove him right.
This picture really looked a bit like it was the wheel chair pulling all the people, which made me think of all the saying “putting the cart in front of the horse. Being a physicist it meant that I had to bring in Albert Einstein in a hypothetical discussion with an older colleague. Gedänkenexperiment means thought-experiment which is a useful tool to show the consequences of a scientific theory.
Friday Fictioneers is the community of bloggers writing stories in 100 words to the same picture. Rochelle leads and curates this community and it attracts many of the best writers on the net (and me).
Click on the frog for more stories.
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August 28
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Great story. One can just imagine being alive in Dr. Einstein’s time and seeing this kind of argument between himself and colleagues panning out. Excellent!
I wonder which brilliant scientist is being ridiculed today, where only time will prove that he was right all the time.
A good question to ask. Would that we had time-0-vision that could look into the future.
Fascinating – and thanks for the additional explanation. It’s always so interesting to read how stories are developed. 🙂
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Great take on the prompt Bjorn.
Except of course that Einstein wasn’t exactly right, but then he wasn’t exactly wrong either. Hence all the confusion
The idea of science and relativity do seem like they would be at odds (spoken by someone with a Winnie The Pooh level of knowledge about physics) which made Einstein all the more amazing. Bjorn, I bet you would have loved to have a conversation with him to hear the process he went through to get to where he was in his theories.
that pic and your debate sound like fun 🙂
Wonderful, Björn. I love this.
And look at you, playing with frogs, too!!
This is an outstanding piece of writing — and is very clever. I love the story and the hidden meaning.
Gedankenexperiment is such a cool word. Fascinating dialogue and story.
Maybe the wheelchair is secretly motorised… Great concept.
Love the reference to Einstein. Nice story.
Stick with it, Albert, you’re on the right track! Good job he didn’t allow himself to be put off even if it was sometimes an uphill struggle.
Dear Björn,
I love how you used the prompt. Good story and we all knew who was right in the end, don’t we? Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
You takes your frame of reference… Years ago I tried to slug through a book on Relativity. The first two thirds was explaining the pre-Relativity theory. After getting lost in maze after maze of differential equations, I jumped to the end and was surprised at how simple Einstein’s theory seemed in comparison. Of course I’ve known it my entire life and didn’t have it thrust at me out of the blue, but…
(The book was Special Relativity – haven’t taken on General yet…)
This is why the special relativity is so attractive, it explained so many strange phenomena in very simple theories… the problem was some weird predictions that only later proved right.
General relativity is whole other matter,…
I guess when you challenge existing beliefs then convincing people takes time.
Relatively speaking, of course.
All change must meet with resistance. This shows the power of persistence.
My four years of German made it possible for me to NOT have to look up “gedanken” 🙂
New ideas are hard to accept if people firmly believe it is wrong and are unwilling to hear the evidence without being prejudice of the new theory. People do not like to change their comfortable views.
Einstein was way ahead of his time. Even now his theories have been scientifically proven, and applauded but common people still carry on as they have been for ages.
yes, it takes time before an idea contrary established beliefs get acceptance. 🙂
A good story based on history, Bjorn. In this case, Einstein was of course right. Great dialogue. 🙂 — Suzanne
Fabulous story, can you imagine the arguments, the passion…being right but forever treated as a fool…
I believe that most things are right until proved wrong. but then each indication of something being false, can then be open to a new challenge. A never ending circle perhaps,
Loved the story. Great take on the prompt. And thank you for explaining what gedänken is!