by Miguel Shim
Developed in 1905 by Albert Einstein, special relativity is built upon two deceptively simple ideas: the laws of physics apply equivalently for all observers, and the speed of light is the same to every observer, regardless of their motion. While thousands of experiments testify that his theory is correct, these laws are certainly counterintuitive at first glance: how could something be constant to every observer? In this sense, special relativity serves as a metaphor to understanding how these perspectives differ and is just as crucial for improving our world as it is for understanding the universe Einstein described.
One major consequence of these postulates is the loss of simultaneity. To explain this in simple terms, suppose that a bomb goes off simultaneously in the rear and front of the train. Special relativity predicts that to a viewer on the train station, the two events would somehow not be simultaneous. In fact, according to them, the bomb on the rear end will explode first. This is not a mere optical illusion but the physical reality stemming from the fundamental construction of our universe.
This simple physical lesson, that the word “is” can depend on perspective, resonates with how people perceive and interact with others. How can something be considered true if it appears false in another frame of reference? As a physicist-in-making, I struggled with this anomaly until I realized that each frame offers its own distinct picture of reality, equally as valid as the other. To each observer, that is their unique vision of reality in a broad physical situation. This perfectly connects to our lives and the fundamental struggle of humanity.
The parallel between society and the universe isn’t perfect, but it is nonetheless illuminating. In relativity, different observers have the power to translate space-time coordinates by using Lorentz transformations. This means that a viewer has the power to find and interpret what others see. In human affairs, analogous operations would be empathy and careful imagination, idiomatically referred to as “putting yourself in their shoes.” No transformation would make someone else’s feelings identical to our own, but attempting the transformation prevents misunderstanding and narrows the gap of comprehension.
South Carolinians urgently need to consider this kind of transformation. Our state still carries echoes of painful division of the past, from the Civil War to the civil rights movement, but also stories of unity and resilience. Today, the realities of our rural and urban communities frequently diverge: some schools prosper with their funds and resources while others find it difficult, even, to pay their teachers. In a similar vein, while some hospitals are well-equipped with modern systems, others face shortages. By practicing empathy, we could translate between different frames, recognizing that each perspective is valid, but also acknowledging that there are significant gaps in opportunities that deserve to be changed.
If more of us practiced that kind of translation, recognizing that our perspective is one among many and making an honest effort to see the world through another person’s perspective, we would not eliminate disagreement, but we might replace suspicion with curiosity. This shift wouldn’t solve every conflict in the book, but it offers a pragmatic path toward peace and tolerance of cultural, ethnical, and religious differences of our diverse world. In a world more divided than ever before, this is a vital lesson to take in.
About Miguel Shim
Miguel Shim is a junior at Hammond School in Columbia, where George Simpson is his English teacher. The son of Seejin Kong and Naewon Shim, Miguel enjoys playing chess, playing the violin, and swimming. Miguel also loves solving and writing math problems and is passionate about his future career in physics.