Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Alexander Friedman and relative peace

I couldn't go to sleep one night recently because I was troubled about the likelihood that my gravity theory will not be taken seriously.

I struggle with this concern because I realize it seems ludicruous that I, having no credential or standing in the scientific community, might have a deep insight about gravity. And what is more troubling, I still believe my basic theory is valid. So I persist to the point that it causes me to lose sleep on occasion.

But on this night, I was comforted as I remembered the fate of Alexander Friedman. He is relatively unknown in scientific history, but he was right about his theory of the universe.

Working in some isolation from others in the field of general relativity, he was the first to conclude mathematically that the universe was expanding. But he was rebuffed, even by the father of relativity --- Albert Einstein.

Unfortunately, Friedman died at age 37 before his theory was validated when Edwin Hubble discovered the expanding universe through his telescope in 1929. And Einstein himself recanted, acknowledging what he called his "biggest blunder."

So if my ideas are not validated, at least I got to sleep one night because of Alexander Friedman. I think that is "relative peace."

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