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**  Even though it may not seem to affect people outside the science community, the Theory of Relativity actually plays a much larger role in everyday society than people realize. The equation E=mc^2, which was developed by Einstein in 1905, is just some science equation to the average human, but it may also be the reson why his or her home is powered as a result of nuclear fission. The theory of relativity has mainly had a positive impact on society through creations such as GPS and the production of nuclear power, as well as the awareness of black holes.  The theory of relativity has two main parts, special and general relativity. Special relativity states that the speed of light is the same for all observers, no matter what their respective relative speeds are. Special relativity also states that the laws of physics are the same for everyone no matter in what frame of reference they exist. The equation that Einstein derived, E=mc^2, applies to the energy of a mass (m) at rest and the energy-mass equivalence. Also, the idea that the speed of light is the same for all observers, no matter what their relative speeds are, creates the fact that the speed of light is a constant in nature and that there is no absolute frame of reference for objects in motion (Special Relativity). The other part of relativity, general relativity, states that the reason smaller objects move towards larger objects in space is because the smaller objects move in space that is distorted by the larger objects (General Relativity). These two theories apply to everyday society in more ways than people realize.
 * The Theory of Relativity's Impact on Society

**Global Positioning System** Whether it is used for tracking movement of certain planes or for a family that is trying to find its way to its child's soccer game, GPS plays a large role in today's society. GPS is a direct result of the theory of relativity because of the satellites that are involved in producing GPS. The satellites' positions in space, their velocities, and the curvature of space-time due to the difference between earth's mass and the mass of the satellites are the reasons why satellites do not keep the same time as the clocks on earth. The general theory of relativity is taken into account when positions are calculated, which takes away certain error that may be calculated and produces such a precise and accurate result (Curious About Astronomy?). Although people may not realize it, GPS is a result from the Theory of Relativity.

**Nuclear Power** Even though nuclear fission creates the deadly atomic bomb, a positive result of fission that comes along with the bomb is the energy from it that powers many peoples' homes. Using the Special Theory of Relativity, the creation of nuclear power can be directly connected to the theory. Einstein's equation E=mc^2 basically means that even when mass is at rest or not bound to a system, it still contains some amount of energy (Possel). When mass disappears, the energy created as a result must appear in a different form. The process described is exactly the same as nuclear fission, which is a process that results in nuclear power and atomic bombs (Special Relativity). Because E=mc^2 says that energy and mass are equal, very sensitive measurements of the masses of different atomic nuclei inform the researchers the strength of each nuclear bond involved in fission (Possel). Even though nuclear bombs are a result of this, the creation of an efficient energy source has proven to be very important to society (Arora).   ** Black Holes **   Most people probably don't wake up every morning thinking, "Oh my God! I'm going to die from a black hole today!" Even though people today don't need to worry about dying from black holes, societies in the future may need to face challenges such as black holes if the Earth becomes inhabitable and humans need to colonize another planet. The fact that we know about them now may be very important for us in the future. The development of General Relativity has resulted in evidence for the existence of black holes. The curvature of space has made scientists aware that light in space bends, and that has led to the discovery of black holes, which are objects in space that do not allow light to escape (Curious About Astronomy?). The General Theory of Relativity has identified that black holes are the most compact objects in space imaginable, which is why light cannot escape from them (General Relativity). This concept may not seem important to society now, but it is likely that it will play an important role when humans start to explore deep space.  **Conclusion**    The creations of GPS and nuclear power, as well as the awareness of the existence of black holes, are all examples of how the Theory of Relativity has and will for the most part positively influence society. GPS and nuclear power are ever present in today's society and will continue to be present in years to come. Although aware    ness of black holes does not seem to influence today's society, I predict that this awareness will affect humans for centuries to come, especially when humans start to dig deep into the mysteries of deep space. Once we achieve that, the awareness that black holes exist will be crucial in how we handle deep space travel. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: block; font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: block; font-size: 17px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: center;"> **Works Cited** <span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: block; font-size: 17px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: center;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: block; font-size: 17px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: center;">   Arora, Hans. "Einstein’s Theory of Relativity: Implications Beyond Science? - Science in Society." __Home - Science in Society.__ 20 Oct. 2008. 01 Feb. 2009 <__[|http://scienceinsociety.northwestern.edu/content/articles/2008/research-digest/student-papers/einstein/einstein2019s-theory-of-relativity-implications-beyond-science\]__ >. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: block; font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: block; font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left;"> // This site is great for people that want to find examples of how the theory of relativity relates to everyday society. The article was written by a current graduate student at Northwestern University. The article uses examples like GPS to explain the theory's connection with society. This is a credible source becuase the author, Hans Arora, is a current MD-PhD candidate at Northwestern University, a very distinguished university. He has conducted a great amount of research to reach his conclusions. // <span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: block; font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left;"> "Curious About Astronomy? The Theory of Relativity." Curious About Astronomy? Ask an Astronomer. 25 Sept. 2002. 01 Feb. 2009 <<span style="display: inline! important; text-align: left;">http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/relativity.php>. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: block; font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: block; font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left;"> // This is a great site for people who do not have a lot of background knowledge on the theory of relativity but want to learn about it. It uses great analogies that people are more familiar with to explain the theory. It also provides a Q and A service for people who have any questions. I believe this site is very credible because the people who produced it are graduate students at Cornell University. These students are experts in the fields of astronomy and physics at a high-quality university. //    "General Relativity." __NCSA Web archive bounce page.__ 07 Nov. 1995. 04 Feb. 2009 <<span style="display: inline! important; text-align: left;">http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Cyberia/NumRel/GenRelativity.html>. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: block; font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: block; font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left;">//This site is great for people who want to learn more about one of the two different parts of the Theory of Relativity, General Relativity. The page explains that matter anywhere in the universe causes space to curve. This is a credible site because it was produced by professional scientists at the University of Illinois. Although it was copyrighted in 1995, the information in the article hasn't been disproved between 1995 and now.// <span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: block; font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: block; font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left;">Possel, Markus. "From E=mc^2 to the atomic bomb." 03 Aug. 2007. 04 Feb. 2009 <http://www.einstein-online.info/en/spotlights/atombombe/index.html>. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: block; font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: block; font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left;"> //The information on this site was very helpful for my project because it provided me with more information on how the Theory of Relativity relates to the development of nuclear energy and the atomic bomb. It is very easy to comprehend the connection Possel makes between E=mc^2 and the atomic bomb. Possel is a credible source because has a doctorate in physics and he has conducted many science outreach projects. The experience he has gained certainly proves that whatever he says about physics is probably true.// <span style="font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">"Theory: Special Relativity (SLAC VVC)." __SLAC Public Website Server.__ 31 Oct. 2008. 02 Feb. 2009 < <span style="display: inline! important; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/vvc/theory/relativity.html <span style="font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">>. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: block; font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left;">//This site is a great resource if one wants to learn more about one of Einstein's branches of the Theory of Relativity, which is Special Relativity. It's very effective because it breaks up the theory of Special Relativity into two parts and further explains these two parts. This site is credible because the people who wrote it are part of a lab at Stanford University. They have conducted a great amount of research to publish the information on the site.//