The rebirth of general relativity: theses and historiographical perspectives

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47456/Cad.Astro.v6n1.46016

Keywords:

History of Physics, General Relativity, Albert Einstein, Historiography

Abstract

In this article, we discuss the thesis, common among physicists and historians, that, after three decades of stagnation, there was a “renaissance” of interest in general relativity in the 1950s and 1960s. We present two versions of this thesis: one places the shift in the 1950s, following the first conferences dedicated to general relativity, and the other identifies the shift in the 1960s, due to advancements in astrophysics. We review the main arguments supporting this thesis by physicists and historians, recall some of the criticisms it has received, and analyze the key historical evidence that emerges in this historiographical debate. Finally, we reflect on the validity of this thesis and on the current challenges in research on the history of general relativity.

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Author Biographies

Juliana Correia Ferreira, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Juliana Correia Ferreira (julianacorreia@poli.ufrj.br) é graduada em Licenciatura em Matemática e em Engenharia Civil pela Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Atualmente, cursa o mestrado no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ensino de Matemática da UFRJ e é Professora Substituta no Departamento de Matemática da UFRJ.

Juliana Youssef, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Juliana Youssef (juyoussef@gmail.com) é graduada em Licenciatura em Matemática pela UFRJ. Atualmente, cursa o mestrado no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ensino de Matemática da UFRJ.

Thiago Hartz, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Thiago Hartz (hartz@im.ufrj.br) é graduado em Bacharelado em Física pela UFRJ, Mestre em Física pelo  Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas e Doutor em Ensino, Filosofia e História das Ciências pela  Universidade Federal da Bahia, com estágio sanduíche no Laboratoire SPHERE da Université Paris Diderot, França. Realizou pós-doutorado no Niels Bohr Archive, Dinamarca. Atualmente, é Professor Adjunto no Departamento de Matemática da UFRJ, onde também atua como docente e vice-coordenador do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ensino de Matemática.

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Published

03-04-2025

How to Cite

[1]
J. C. Ferreira, J. Youssef, and T. Hartz, “The rebirth of general relativity: theses and historiographical perspectives”, Cad. Astro., vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 95–112, Apr. 2025.

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Section

Divulgação Científica, Ciência e Sociedade