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Table of Contents

1. Scientific Theories and Laws

2. The First Decade (1936-1946)

4. The Second Decade (1946-1956)

5. Quantum Mechanics

6. The Third Decade (1956-1966)

7. The Big Bang

8. The Fourth Decade (1966-1976)

9. The Non-Bang

10. The Fifth Decade (1976-1986)

11. The Never-Bang

12. The Sixth Decade (1986-1996)

14. The Seventh Decade (1996-2006)

15. The Theory of More than Everything

16. The Eighth Decade (2006-2016)

18. The Ninth Decade (2016-2026)

Appendix A Paintings

Appendix B Caps and Bunnies

Appendix C Musical Compositions

Appendix E A Googolplex Universe

Appendix F Acknowledgements

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Chapter Three

Relativity

The glass barrel on the left, labeled A, is full of dimes and quarters, all mixed up. If we keep shaking the barrel, will the dimes eventually float to the top as in B, or will the quarters float to the top as in C?

barrels

If you picked C, you were right, but be honest. Did you think it was a trick question and picked the third barrel because C didn't seem to be the right answer? At first glance, according to common sense, the quarters will sink to the bottom because they're heavier; won't they? With a little more thought, you might have figured out why the dimes will sink to the bottom: Each coin cannot fall to a lower level until a gap opens up. It's more likely a gap will open big enough for a dime rather than a quarter.

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Sections

WHAT IS COMMON SENSE

IS LIGHT A WAVE

HOW FAST DOES LIGHT GO

CAN WE TEST REAL MOTION

WILL METHODS WORK IN SPACE

CAN WE DISCOVER REAL MOTION

LIGHT SPEED AFFECTS TIME

SOME SPECIAL THEORY ODDITIES

EVERYDAY RELATIVITY EVIDENCE

ARE WE DONE TALKING MOTION

ACCELERATED MOTION