If you lived 30,000 years ago and understood relativity theory, how would you descibe it to your people?

Question

Then, there are no precise artificial measuring tools - all you have is the natural world around you. Your people don't know the significance of the speed of light . And yet, you want to share this because it would help you and your people better see the truth.

Answer 1

30,000 years ago, we are talking about the Atlantis era and around the Paleolithic Age.

By this time, there is evidence that the oldest image of a star pattern, that of the famous constellation of Orion, has been recognized on an ivory tablet as between 32,500 and 38,000 years old. The tiny sliver of mammoth tusk contains a carving of a man-like figure with arms and legs outstretched in the same pose as the stars of Orion. Believed to have been left behind by the mysterious Aurignacian people.

So you are right, one can use the natural environment such as landscape, stars and light from nature.

In 1916 Einstein expanded his Special Theory to include the effect of gravitation on the shape of space and the flow of time. This theory, referred to as the General Theory of Relativity, proposed that matter causes space to curve.

The large ball will cause a deformation in the sheet's surface. A baseball dropped onto the sheet will roll toward the bowling ball. Einstein theorized that smaller masses travel toward larger masses not because they are "attracted" by a mysterious force, but because the smaller objects travel through space that is warped by the larger object.

To illustrate this, you can either use natural terrains or a sheet (such as a large leaf) to show how a large mass can warp a surface and influence smaller objects on it.

However, I am not sure if such revelation would have any significant benefits to the people of that era.

Answer 2

Maybe trying to get the concept of speed and direction across by putting two sticks in the ground several meters apart at noon , showing that the shadows fall on different sides of the sticks and throwing rocks to indicate direction and speed?

Answer 3

The truth is that 30,000 years ago it was **far** more important to get crops planted and harvested and game caught and domestic animals raised and slaughtered than it was to speculate about inertial frames of reference, space-time, and mass-energy.


Doug

Answer 4

after suffering hour upon hour over this, i'd merely take a rock, knock it over my maximum proper freinds ladies head, and drag her off to my cave. (singing) "My beeest freinds girlfreind, favor she would nicely be mine"

Answer 5

30,000 years ago we couldn't even speak