General Relativity Sinks Submarine

August 1, 2003 | Source: Nature

A Brazilian physicist has resolved a paradox highlighted by Einstein’s theory of relativity, which explains how movement at close to light speed can distort space. Apparently, underwater there is some inconsistency in that theory, as the Brazilian physicist has discovered with the help of a submarine vessel. Since the density increase would sink the vessel, the submarine crew would see the opposite: water rushing past them would contract and get denser, making the submarine more buoyant and causing it to rise.