™
Dog Training
(in a different way)
How to Teach Relativity to Your Dog by Chad Orzel
(maybe start with the sit command first)
written by Elisavet Dionysia Chiou
In his hilarious book, physicist Chad Orzel breaks down the most important concepts of relativity: time dilation (my favorite), The Equivalence Principle (simply put, that the effects of gravitational force are indistinguishable from acceleration), black holes, and more, using the tried-and-proved method of explaining them to his dog, Emmy. Sometimes, Emmy makes me feel dumb, to be honest, but that’s another story.
Yes, you heard that right—a dog. And you know what? It works. Through Emmy’s endless curiosity and sometimes confusion, you’ll delve into one of Physics’ most renowned and difficult-to-grasp ideas (usually this is how it goes), unraveled in the simplest, most delightful imaginable ways. Do you know what reading this book reminded me of? Being in a Science class, not having understood a thing the teacher has said, being reluctant to ask anything, and then out of nowhere, that *fallen angel* classmate of mine asking all the questions I wanted to ask, making the teacher explain once again, in a simpler note the whole chapter. I couldn’t phrase that better.
Why you will love this book:
Mind-Bending Physics (with no headache, please): You don’t need a PhD to read this book. The way Orzel writes is like talking with that one friend who will explain everything to you right before an exam: non-judgemental ethos and a LOT of patience.
Laugh-Out-Loud moments: “Wait, if I run fast enough, I’ll age slower? Cool! More time for naps!”. If you are a person like me who laughs easily or smiles at jokes and cannot control yourself, do not read this in public.
After reading this book, I assure you that you will no longer find the concept of relativity that far-fetched (pun intended).