2016 theme is all about relativity

In 2016 it will be 100 years since Einstein published his theory of general relativity. It followed his theory of special relativity published in 1905. Both theories are rather complicated, but basically Einstein argued, in the theory of special relativity, that things like time and space are relative to the state (speed) of the observer – space contracts and time dilates when travelling close to the speed of light.

He determined that space and time act together (space-time) and due to relativity, an event can ‘happen’ at different times for different observers. This theory is where the famous E=mc ² came from. In the general theory of relativity Einstein determined that massive objects cause a distortion in space-time which is felt as gravity. This theory is still the current description of gravitation in modern physics. It was the start of the nuclear age and built on work in the fields of physics and astronomy. These theories allowed the development of things we use every day, such as television, remote controls and lasers.

In celebration of this anniversary, our general theme for 2016 will be ‘It’s all relative’. Some ideas have already emerged around the theme – such as looking at mother and daughter involvement with NWR, or even grandmother and granddaughters! So put on your thinking caps for events you can organise and remember, there is a subsidy of £100 available towards venue hire and speaker costs. Just get in touch with the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

We have decided to tie the themes together and so the country for the themed evening will be Germany, where Einstein was born in Ulm on 14 March 1879.

The topic for the conference, which will be held on Saturday 25 June at the University of Sussex in Brighton, will be ‘Relatively Speaking’. We are lining up lots of interesting speakers and exciting events and the booking form will be on the back page of the Autumn 2015 of NWR Magazine so do start booking early!

See who our keynote speaker is.

For more information and to book your place, visit our events page.