Prompt: Comprehension, and Einstein’s Theory of Relativity

This is an interesting prompt, because there is no way in the world I could possibly know what the average consensus of people usually don’t understand. I could say, “Most people don’t understand that the genre of Cyberpunk is a warning, not an aspiration.” But, is that true? Is that really something most people don’t understand?

Who knows? I’m just making an assumption there, aren’t I?

I feel as though it’s more accurate to say that most people don’t understand quantum physics and string theory. Which, for all intents and purposes, is probably true. Because most people probably also don’t really understand Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. And I can’t truthfully say that I fully understand it, either.

I know that black holes exist. I know that when moving through space, time itself experiences dilation, and gravity affects that dilation. You can see fictional examples of this in movies like Interstellar, where it’s (maybe) accurately depicted that being in proximity to a black hole vastly dilates time for those on Earth, in contrast to the crew who have left.

But do I understand why that’s happening? Do most people?

I mean, not really?

You could very well tell me that what most people understand or experience as the concept of “ghosts” is really just an effect of gravitational lensing in relation to the multiverse theory, and we’re just seeing a thin window, or crack in the fabric of space and time, into some other person’s reality. And it would sound just as wild as the concept of black holes, relativity, and time dilation.

And, I might take the risk of the hazard of a guess, that most people, or, the average person who may read that previous paragraph, might look at it and go, “What in the hell are you even saying?”

But, I am, again, just making another assumption.

I think we all make a lot of assumptions about each other. It makes dealing with the onslaught of information a bit easier. To make assumptions, to superficially assume to understand something that took a literal genius years to comprehend.

I know why space bends time, but I don’t understand it, and I don’t think anyone else does either. Just like I don’t think people understand each other, not really, not until they take the time to really speak to them, and let them speak for themselves.