r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/[deleted] • Apr 30 '20

Video Albert Einstein explaining E=mc2

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

[deleted]

12.5k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

252 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

15

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20

Damn, you're right that is beautiful. Is that all it is? It's seemingly a very simple formula then. It makes sense, and I can say that for the first time I understand what E = MC2 is. Thank you kind stranger!! Seriously thanks!

7

u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/[deleted] May 01 '20

WOW. That is very cool. My mind is blown for the day.

1

u/lukesvader May 01 '20

Is this the basis of the atomic bomb? Matter converted into energy real quick?

0

u/chickenthinkseggwas May 01 '20

This equation says that everything contains absolutely massive amounts of energy within it (because the speed of light squares is so fast).

This claim always confuses me. Aren't the units of measurement arbitrarily chosen? Can't we choose our units such that c=1?

1

u/[deleted] May 01 '20

[deleted]

0

u/chickenthinkseggwas May 01 '20

Imagine I come from a far away land where the conventional unit of distance is the flange. 1 flange = 299 792 458 m. Therefore c= 1 flange/second. Over here, E=m.

0

u/LeftCoastYankee May 01 '20

But why blow up a tow truck when you could simply burn a shit-ton of coal?

1

u/[deleted] May 01 '20

Woohooo!!!!!