PH430      Half Unit
Einstein for Everyone: From time travel to the edge of the universe

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

Course Convenor

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Does the universe have an edge? Is time travel possible? What is a black hole, and in what sense are space, time and gravity a matter of "geometry"? The modern theory of spacetime introduced by Einstein provides a precise framework in which to ask these questions. This course makes their analysis accessible to everyone.

Students will have the opportunity to engage with Einstein's theories of relativity, to use them to analyse philosophical problems, and to examine their philosophical and practical implications. Students will learn to apply these conceptual tools to the analysis of space, time and gravity, as well as to formulate and argue for their own perspectives on the philosophical implications of relativity theory.

One is often faced with unsubstantiated declarations about the implications of Einstein's theories, by both scientists and non-scientists. This course will equip non-scientists with the conceptual tools needed to critically analyse these claims for themselves. It will also provide students with the tools needed to discuss the philosophy of space and time from a modern perspective.

Einstein for Everyone requires absolutely no background in physics or maths.

15 hours of seminars and 10 hours of lectures in the Autumn Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.

This year, the teaching will be delivered through in-person lectures and a weekly class, including a reading week.

Students will be expected to produce one problem set weekly and one other piece of coursework in the AT.

All weekly readings will all be made available to students on Moodle. As an indicative reading, see Norton, John D. (2017) Einstein for Everyone, Free Online, and Nick Huggett (2010) Everywhere and Everywhen, OUP.

Exam (50%), duration: 120 Minutes, reading time: 5 minutes in the Spring exam period

Course participation (10%)

Essay (40%, 2000 words)

There are two summative assessments: a 2,500 word summative essay (40%) and an exam (50%). Alongside this, there is a 10% participation grade connected to the weekly problem sheets. 

The exam for this course is an e-Exam, an invigilated in-person exam on the LSE campus in which, instead of completing your answers on a paper script, you use your own personal laptop to type your answers and submit electronically. e-Exam duration: 2 hours.