EINSTEIN'S NEW THEORY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27275, 29 December 1949, Page 5

EINSTEIN'S NEW THEORY

Excitement Among Leading Scientists Comment Not Attempted NZP A—Copyright Rec. 11 p.m. NEW YORK, Dec. 27. Reporters who tried to interview Professor Albert Einstein at his home today to ask him about his new mathematical concept, described as the " generalised theory of gravitation,” were given a message througn his secretary: “Come back to see me in 20 years.” The development of the new, mathematical concept caused considerable excitement among the 2000 delegates to the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which is being held in New York. . Most of the eminent mathematicians asked to comment on the theory declined. One professor said in explanation: “For one thing, they do not know enough about it. Also they do not want to stick their necks out. They might make a mistake which would probably ruin their reputation. He said: “ You will h&ve to wait years until the theory has been tested and before leading men in science will be tempted to express their views.” Dr Norbert Wiener, professor of mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said: “I have not studied Professor Einstein’s formula, but I know what he is trying to do. For nearly 30 years there has been no unified foundation for physics. We have fragments, and big research is to find the single theory which will contain all these fragments without contradiction.” The aim was to try to unite the relativity and quantum theories, which have been described as “ the two major pillars on which rests man’s basic understanding of the universe.”