What did scientist Einstein say about space-time?

(Dan Tri) - Modern physics proves that space and time are not easily separated, but are woven together into a "fabric" of space-time.

For a long time, humans have imagined space as an endless, silent void where celestial bodies come and go. Time was seen as a distinct, steady flow, taking us from the past to the future.

However, modern physics has overturned this notion, demonstrating that space and time are inseparable but are merged into a single entity: space-time.

Albert Einstein's special theory of relativity showed that space-time is not just a passive backdrop but a dynamic structure that shapes the universe and how objects move.

It is the invisible thread that holds everything together, guiding events as they unfold. Without space-time, the concepts of place and time would be meaningless.

Large objects warp spacetime

To illustrate the connection between space and time, imagine two people: one stays on Earth and one travels in a spaceship at near the speed of light.

When they meet again, the clocks of the people on the spacecraft will show less time has passed than those of the people on Earth. This phenomenon, known as time dilation, suggests that space and time must work together as part of the same fabric.

This is also the reason why astronauts on the International Space Station age a little slower than people on Earth.

Einstein also showed that massive objects such as planets and stars have the ability to warp space-time, thereby affecting the motion of surrounding objects. It is this warping that explains gravity.

The Earth does not revolve around the Sun because it is "tethered" by an invisible string, but because it moves along spacetime curved by the Sun.

Imagine a stretched sheet of fabric. If you place a large ball on it, it will dent the surface. If you roll a smaller ball, it will spiral inward, following the curve of the fabric. Celestial objects in the universe are similarly affected by curved spacetime.

By demonstrating the connection between space and time, and that gravity is the geometry of this unification, Einstein completely changed the way we understand the universe.

He asserted that space-time is not a passive unit of measurement but an active element in the story of the universe.

The fabric of reality

Spacetime is not just a scientific hypothesis, but the very fabric of reality. Every event, from the motion of planets to the ticking of a clock, takes place in spacetime.

We cannot indicate a certain space without considering time, and vice versa. They are inseparable, and together they define the stage of existence.

Modern physics is built on this understanding. Relativity, quantum entanglement, cosmology, and many of the technologies that shape our daily lives depend on spacetime. It provides the framework within which the laws of nature operate, shaping the “where” and “when” of reality.

The effects of spacetime are not just theoretical. Massive black holes, with their dense density, warp spacetime to such an extent that not even light can escape.

On a smaller scale, our global positioning system (GPS) also depends on spacetime to function properly. GPS satellites orbiting the Earth move at different speeds than devices on the ground due to time dilation caused by gravity.

Without correction for these changes, GPS positioning would be off by several kilometers per day. Spacetime silently shapes the way we move, communicate, and interact with the world in our daily lives.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc/nha-bac-hoc-einstein-noi-gi-ve-khong-thoi-gian-20250922090326350.htm