Let me take the theory of relativity as an example to see what experimental efforts the scientific community has made to prove it.
General relativity mainly describes the curvature of space-time structure, which is a description of mass and astronomical large-scale physical phenomena in the universe. However, we humans can only live on a small earth, so it is undoubtedly very difficult to directly understand the temporal and spatial structure changes of massive substances. You know, the reference object with great mass and strong gravitational source that human beings can immediately think of is the sun that provides us with light and heat every day. So, can we verify the change of space-time structure described by relativity by observing the sun? Because according to the description of relativity, massive matter can distort space, and light travels along space. Since the spatial structure is distorted, light will actually be distorted. Because there is no doubt that photons have energy, according to the mass-energy equation of special relativity, energy can be exchanged with mass, and energetic photons must also have inertial mass. Because photons have inertia, according to the curved structure of time and space, the trajectory of photons will be geodesic. In this way, since there is a strong gravitational field around the sun, the gravitational field will change the space-time structure and make the space-time curl, so the light passing around the sun will move according to the space-time structure.
(Einstein publishes the manuscript of relativity)
Therefore, Einstein conceived an experimental method. By measuring and comparing the deviation and displacement of light from distant stars before and after passing through the solar gravitational field, the prediction of relativity can be confirmed. If we observe that the light around the sun is distorted, we can prove the accuracy of the prediction of relativity.
After Einstein put forward the experimental scheme, it aroused the interest and concern of the scientific community, especially astronomers. German astronomer Irving freund-rich decided to do something about it. At that time, astronomers calculated that there would be a total solar eclipse in Crimea in August 19 14. Erwin Freundlich led a scientific research team to Crimea and planned to build experimental equipment. Unexpectedly, the first world war broke out at this time. At that time, Germany and Russia were opposing belligerents. Russian troops captured Erwin Freundlich and all the expedition members in Crimea and did not release them until four years later. Naturally, the experiment was a complete failure before it officially started.
(World War I situation map)
What really made Einstein and his theory of relativity famous in the world was not Einstein's native Germany, but Britain.
Einstein was German at that time. He was born in Germany, has German nationality and teaches in a German university. His scientific paper on relativity was published in the German Yearbook of Physics. However, science has no national boundaries. Einstein's paper soon attracted great attention from the British on the other side of the ocean. At that time, Sir Eddington, a famous marble scientist and astronomer in the British scientific community, read Einstein's paper and praised it greatly. He immediately recommended this paper to him? Friends circle? . A large number of British scientists, such as Russell, understood the theory of relativity, and they also agreed with Einstein's description of the changes in the structure of time and space.
(On the right is the shoulder of the British scientific community at that time, Sir Eddington. )
You know, Britain and Germany were at war at that time, and Einstein was an out-and-out enemy scientist to Sir Eddington and Russell at that time. As British people, they didn't exclude Einstein because of politics, race and other factors, which undoubtedly proved their noble sentiments of integrity and selflessness and their noble spirit of bravely pursuing scientific truth.
Thanks to Sir Eddington's unremitting recommendation, Einstein's theory of relativity attracted the attention of Dyson, director of Greenwich Mean Time Observatory in Britain. Dyson wrote to the Royal Society, and he proposed to form a scientific expedition to test Einstein's theory of relativity. Dyson pointed out that May 29th of 19 19 is an extremely suitable time to test the theory, because on this day, the sun, Taurus, the moon and the earth will just be arranged in a straight line. As a result of the solar eclipse, the light emitted by Taurus will be easily observed by experimental instruments on the earth when it passes through the gravitational field around the sun. If these faint lights are really observed, it proves that Einstein's theory is correct.
According to Dyson's proposal, the Royal Society set up two scientific research groups, one to principe island in Wan Wan Bay, Guinea, Africa, and the other to Sobral, Brazil. Both teams have experienced many difficulties in the wild. They overcame the interference of hurricanes, rainstorms, etc., fought in the harsh natural environment for eight or nine months, spent a lot of effort and took many photos. After comparing the measurement photos, they obtained very accurate observation data.
1919165438+10.6, which is a memorable day in the history of science and even the whole history of human civilization. The Royal Society held an academic conference. Sir Eddington, Russell, Dyson and many other famous scientists who make a splash in the scientific community attended the meeting. At the meeting, Sir Eddington read the scientific investigation report of the total solar eclipse on the spot. He said in an excited tone: this is a victory for science! This is Einstein's victory! Through our experimental observation, it is proved that the mass of the sun does cause the space-time structure around it to bend!
Since then, Professor Einstein has become famous all over the world!
So far, no experiment has confirmed Einstein's theory of relativity or? The principle of constant speed of light? Has been overthrown. Most of the self-media that we usually see spreading shocking information have no basic knowledge of mathematics, and some are liberal arts students. They often believe in mysticism and long for pseudoscience and supernatural.
In fact, judgment? Has relativity or the principle of constant speed of light been overthrown? It's very simple, that is, to see if there are any relevant papers published in internationally renowned scientific journals. At present, the top scientific academic journals are Nature, Science and Scientific American. If someone claims that he. Rollover? A major basic scientific theory, or? Innovation? Come up with something shocking and incompatible with the existing mainstream scientific system? Masterpiece? It's very simple. Please show him his papers published in Nature, Science and Scientific American at once. He doesn't have the ability to publish papers on it, and he always likes to talk big. What else can he do if he says he is capable? Hit Einstein and kick Newton Hawking? You can already roughly judge that he is just a folk science popularization person with jumping thinking.
What I want to say is that Britain, as a country at war with Germany, has spent enormous resources and energy, mobilized its own scientists, and spent eight or nine months testing the theory put forward by scientists from a hostile country. What does this broad spirit mean? Science transcends all countries, regions, nationalities, cultures, governments and political views. It is with this spirit that human civilization can be accelerated.