Time and space as one – Minkowski's breakthrough
Albert Einstein's theory of relativity showed that time, space and gravity have a profound, four-dimensional nature. However, the first person to truly grasp this – after Einstein's work was published – was his former teacher at the Zurich University of Technology, Hermann Minkowski. It was he who recognised that Einstein had discovered something fundamental and geometric about the nature of time and space.
Minkowski, who was fascinated by the special theory of relativity, concluded that from that moment on, thanks to Einstein, time and space could no longer be considered separately – they were aspects of one, deeper reality.
From Distrust to Understanding – Einstein's Scientific Evolution
Einstein initially complained that when mathematicians "had got ahold of" his theory of relativity, he had stopped understanding it. However, he later retracted this claim when he worked on incorporating gravity into the theory – at which point he had to study mathematics thoroughly to understand what Minkowski had actually observed.
What are world lines? The physical geometry of motion
From the perspective of spacetime, the motion of a point particle is a curve in that spacetime –called the worldline, according to Minkowski. In his talk, Dr Tomasz Miller explains the key properties of this line, using graphics and visual effects.
Light Cones and Curved Reality
In Minkowski's view, the spacetime that Einstein discovered is a four-dimensional structure in which light cones can be placed – showing how particles can move through spacetime.
Spacetime curvature and the birth of black holes
After Minkowski's death, it was discovered that spacetime could curve and light cones could twist, expand or contract. Thanks to this geometric approach, Einstein was able to discern entirely new properties of his own theory. Black holes became one of his most important research objects.
Black holes and the Big Bang are not fiction
The picture of the world emerging from the theory of relativity – with its world lines, light cones and the geometry of space-time – led Roger Penrose and Stephen Hawking to profound conclusions. They imply that black holes must exist and form in the universe – this is dictated by general relativity. Big Bang cosmology is its logical consequence. There is no escape from this picture of reality.
Dr. Tomasz Miller is a PhD degree holder and mathematical physicist who explores geometric structures at the intersection of general relativity and quantum mechanics. He is also the author and co-author of several scientific and popular science articles and an Assistant Professor at the Copernicus Center for Interdisciplinary Studies at the Jagiellonian University. He also studies the geometry of spacetime. Together with a colleague, he has attempted to extend this geometry from point particles to probability clouds.
Edit: Michał Gruda and Małgorzata Jasińska (Centre for External Relations and Social Responsibility of the University, University of Lodz)