JohannesDahlstrom comments on The Graviton as Aether - Less Wrong

13 Post author: alyssavance 04 March 2010 10:13PM

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Comment author: JohannesDahlstrom 05 March 2010 11:35:55PM 0 points [-]

It seems to be a common view among phycisists that SR someone else would have come up with sooner or later (probably sooner), but GR required a critical insight so rare that had Einstein not existed, we might still not have an adequate theory of gravitation.

Comment author: Cyan 06 March 2010 01:09:24AM *  0 points [-]

Once David Hilbert became aware of the problem, he almost beat Einstein to the punch.

ETA: Actually, looking at the history, it seems that Hilbert's interest in physics and mathematical prowess is not evidence that he could have come up with the necessary physical insight. He didn't become interested in GR until well after Einstein had laid the groundwork.