100 Years of General Relativity
On this November 25th, after a lull probably linked to global warming, the cold is reclaiming its rights. France and other countries are reeling from terrorist attacks.
While our planet is dying, we learn on the same day that demonstrations can be banned by prefects during COP21 and that a total of 120,000 police officers, gendarmes and soldiers will be deployed across the country to ensure our security.
Jean Michel Billaut would no doubt add that the ENA and its alumni are always quick to pile drama upon drama and make this day of November 25, 2015 even more oppressive than it should be.
So, even though comparisons can be misleading, let's jump back a century and take a closer look.
Exactly 100 years ago, on November 25, 1915, Europe was at war. From the North Sea to Alsace, across several continuous zones surrounded by inextricable networks of barbed wire, immense armies lived in the trenches.
Exactly 100 years ago, on November 25, 1915, France launched the first great war loan under the name Victory Loan, with over 2 billion francs subscribed.
Exactly 100 years ago, on November 25, 1915, Augusto Pinochet was born, whose totalitarian regime would be marked by multiple human rights violations (more than 3,200 dead and 38,000 tortured, see Wikipedia).
Not simple, is it?
Yet exactly 100 years ago today, Albert Einstein submitted a short paper for publication in the Proceedings of the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin: "The Field Equations of Gravitation."
The reception stamp on the 32 pages of this article marks the true anniversary of the general theory of relativity. After eight years of relentless work that would push him to the brink of despair, Albert presented in a not quite final form his work of the century.
There is much to say about this theory and it is commonly accepted that it is not the ultimate theory of gravitation. From a theoretical standpoint, attempts to develop a quantum theory of gravitation or a theory that would unify fundamental interactions produce deviations from Einstein's theory.
On the other hand, it quickly achieved experimental successes such as explaining the precession of Mercury's perihelion, and notably on May 29, 1919, the observation of light deflection during a solar eclipse by Sir Arthur Eddington.
Yet today, this November 25, 2015, there is no trace of this major centenary, not even the usual Google page animation. Nothing.
Research, whether in physics, chemistry or computer science, takes time. A lot of time. And very often the work of passionate people who strive to change the world is forgotten.
This work is often challenged, just as today some scientists question the ongoing climate change through criticism of the impartiality of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), doubting the accuracy of figures or some of the methodologies followed.
Others still persist today in making Albert Einstein a plagiarist and ridiculing his work on the general theory of relativity as if it were some vast hoax.
We also hear these days that terrorists can circumvent the widespread surveillance set up with the cooperation or complicity of citizens through the use of encryption or virtual currencies. We hear a lot of things...
At @Mediawen, we work. We work very hard indeed. We are not fans of vaporware. What we demonstrate works. What we demonstrate is in production. And we are preparing beautiful technologies for you.
Certainly, nothing we do will have the importance of Albert Einstein's and his friend Grossmann's work. And when we see today the treatment reserved for one of the two scientific pillars of our civilization on this anniversary day, there is reason to wonder about the degree of blindness, ignorance or ingratitude of our era.
But the fact is that we are passionate. Passionate about technology obviously, but also about those who use what we develop every day. So with or without recognition, we keep working. With you. For you. Thank you. Thank you infinitely.
And happy birthday to your 32 pages, dear Albert!