Nikola Tesla
“Einstein's relativity work is a magnificent mathematical garb which fascinates, dazzles and makes people blind to the underlying errors. The theory is like a beggar clothed in purple whom ignorant people take for a king... its exponents are brilliant men but they are metaphysicists rather than scientists.” [Nikola Tesla]
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla expressed strong criticism of Albert Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity, likening it to “a beggar wrapped in purple whom ignorant people take for a king.” To back his claim, he referenced various experiments he had conducted as early as 1896, particularly focusing on cosmic rays. Tesla asserted that he measured the velocities of cosmic rays from Antarus, which he believed traveled at speeds up to fifty times faster than light, thereby challenging one of the foundational principles of relativity that asserts nothing can exceed the speed of light.
He described the theory as riddled with mistakes and misleading notions that starkly contrast the teachings of esteemed scientists from the past, and even defy common logic. According to Tesla, “The theory envelops these inaccuracies and misconceptions in an impressive mathematical framework that captivates and blinds people to the inherent flaws.” He reiterated that it resembles a beggar dressed in royal robes, mistaken for nobility by those who are unaware. While acknowledging that its proponents are intellectually gifted, he argued they lean more toward metaphysics than true scientific inquiry, insisting that none of the claims made in the realm of relativity have been substantiated.
Albert Einstein
When forced to summarize the general theory of relativity in one sentence: "Time and space and gravitation have no separate existence from matter." [Albert Einstein]
See Also
Albert Einstein
General Relativity
theory of relativity
Wheeler Hypothesis