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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Understanding Einstein: The Special Theory of Relativity by Stanford University

4.9
stars
2,964 ratings

About the Course

In this course we will seek to “understand Einstein,” especially focusing on the special theory of relativity that Albert Einstein, as a twenty-six year old patent clerk, introduced in his “miracle year” of 1905. Our goal will be to go behind the myth-making and beyond the popularized presentations of relativity in order to gain a deeper understanding of both Einstein the person and the concepts, predictions, and strange paradoxes of his theory. Some of the questions we will address include: How did Einstein come up with his ideas? What was the nature of his genius? What is the meaning of relativity? What’s “special” about the special theory of relativity? Why did the theory initially seem to be dead on arrival? What does it mean to say that time is the “fourth dimension”? Can time actually run more slowly for one person than another, and the size of things change depending on their velocity? Is time travel possible, and if so, how? Why can’t things travel faster than the speed of light? Is it possible to travel to the center of the galaxy and return in one lifetime? Is there any evidence that definitively confirms the theory, or is it mainly speculation? Why didn’t Einstein win the Nobel Prize for the theory of relativity? About the instructor: Dr. Larry Lagerstrom is the Director of Academic Programs at Stanford University’s Center for Professional Development, which offers graduate certificates in subjects such as artificial intelligence, cyber security, data mining, nanotechnology, innovation, and management science. He holds degrees in physics, mathematics, and the history of science, has published a book and a TED Ed video on "Young Einstein: From the Doxerl Affair to the Miracle Year," and has had over 30,000 students worldwide enroll in his online course on the special theory of relativity (this course!)....

Top reviews

JJ

Mar 21, 2020

Thanks for helping me understand the Special Theory of Relativity, covered a lot of ground but repeated it so it really could sink in. Like your style and want to thank you for your assistance. Thanks

BH

Jun 22, 2017

This course is very comprehensive and well prepared material for understanding the Special Theory of Relativity. Larry (the instructor) is very expert and has broad knowledge in explaining the course.

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201 - 225 of 1,017 Reviews for Understanding Einstein: The Special Theory of Relativity

By Hans H

Feb 7, 2023

Excellent course. No advanced knowledge of physics or mathematics is needed. The professor is extremely pedagogic and nice to listen to. The drawback is however a very low speed in the videos, which I beleive is good for many and of course for learning, but is a little irritating for those who have more previous knowledge.

By halfway ' t w

Jun 21, 2020

Such a great course with a superb instructor! The pacing of the course, in my opinion, was perfect. We certainly made haste, but we made haste slowly. Things were explained in a way, that the greater understanding of the math and "philosophy" behind it came together in a beautiful manner. So happy with taking this course!

By Cristian N

Jan 16, 2017

Excelente habilidad para la docencia mezclando el contexto histórico de uno de los más grandes avances de la ciencia moderna con las bases matemáticas y físicas necesarias para comprender la Teoría de la Relatividad Especial, de una manera didáctica y para todo público, no sólo para personas entendidas en física avanzada.

By Swarali C

May 15, 2021

The course very interesting. Because it doesn't require any detailed knowledge of physics or mathematics, the material is easy to grasp. The concepts are explained very clearly and well. Anyone with the average background of high school level physics or mathematics can complete the course without any major difficulties.

By Sam

May 12, 2017

Thank you Professor, your lecture is very interesting, and it is quite helpful to learn physics with a little history. I found that there are some mistakes in the subtitle, but it is not significant and I think I can understand it according to the context. Really impressive course, I hope I can see you in other courses.

By Heike S

Apr 26, 2018

“One should not pursue goals that are easily achieved. One must develop an instinct for what one can just barely achieve through one’s greatest efforts.”

― Albert Einstein

The course was varied and motivating in its structure. Professor Larry Lagerstrom is an outstanding personality. It was a very enriching experience.

By Steven G

Jun 21, 2018

Excellent course. I feel I gained some insight into the core concepts of special relativity. I took to heart the "festina lente" ethos exposed early in the course by the instructor. Larry Lagerstrom is a fantastic teacher, he has the ability to explain often complex material in a way to that makes it understandable.

By Myat T

Mar 12, 2022

The best course on Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity. The instructor is very patient and provide detailed explanation. Even if you don't have any math and physics background, you would be able to understand more than 90% of the course material. Suitable for anyone who want to really understand the topics.

By golda a

Aug 14, 2021

The teacher was incredible. Thank you! I'm young and had minimal experience with Einstein's work prior and now I can credit myself with fully understanding special relativity. I hope to do general relativity eventually but perhaps when I'm old enough to go to university as it seems quite advanced. Thanks again:)

By Felix G

May 11, 2020

This course offers an excellent and intuitive entry to the special theory of relativity. In my eyes, it is suited for everyone being fascinated by space-time and the "weirdness" of our universe and at the same time wants to dig a little deeper into the physical and mathematical framework of special relativity.

By Mustafa B

Sep 28, 2022

I don't have a very good English, but I can say that I understood it more or less, my teacher explained it very well and it made me very excited. And I just want to say thank you Coursera for offering us the best professors at the best universities in the world. It would be nice if it was in Turkish though :)

By Graham J

Nov 17, 2021

Excellent course. Despite a solid background in chemistry and maths, I have never covered Special Relativity formally. I could never remember which clocks ran faster or which twin aged more. Now I know! Course suited to anyone with a minimum of maths and a modicum of curiosity. Onwards to General Relativity.

By Gaurav B

Jul 4, 2017

I thoroughly enjoyed the course and it was informative and we'll presented. I think I will miss listening about time. For me its been much therapeutic. It challenges my brain to even visualize these concepts and hence I can spend as much time studying it. The presenter knows his stuff and like his simplicity.

By Daniel H d A C

Sep 5, 2017

An outstanding course, it was what I was looking for to get a good understanding of the topic.

Really good course progression, well explained concepts. I am definitely happy and "1000%" satisfied with this amazing course, Professor Lagerstrom is simply amazing and he definitely deserves a strong acclamation!!

By Solai S

Jun 24, 2017

It was incredibly interesting and enjoyable experience,the course instructor was fabulous and i could understand many mind baffling information with a surprising ease.I am looking forward for stanford university's course on the general theory of relativity and i hope that it is taught by the same professor.

By Sarah C

Sep 26, 2023

A fun and engaging class! The instructor starts small and then builds each lesson on top of the last to make the material easy to understand and digest. Very little math involved, and he gives you the few formulas you need so only a basic understanding of algebra is needed. I'm so happy I took this class!

By Osvaldo L

Apr 25, 2022

El curso es excelente. y de acuerdo a lo necesario para comprender la teoría sin ser un especialista.

Espero que en un futuro cercano completen el conocimiento ofreciendo un nuevo curso sobre la teoría general de la relatividad, para completar el aporte de Einstein a la ciencia y su desarrollo profundo.

By Sujoy M

Aug 2, 2020

Great Course. I wish there would me more courses like this in other topics like general theory of relativity. Discussion forum is very active. Mentors are available to clarify any topics. Videos are a bit slow though, but you can always fast forward. I am grateful to the course instructor of this course.

By Randy G

Feb 14, 2018

Absolutely wonderful course. I am grateful to Mr. Lagerstrom for making haste slowly in his explanations during the lectures. Really helped to cement the concepts and the math into the mind. This course comes with my highest recommendation to anyone who is interested in learning about Special Relativity.

By Wanheng L

Feb 18, 2023

Didn't expect I could really understand the special theory of relativity before taking this course. This course really walks you step by step to understand the concepts and math. It piqued my interest in physics and I hope there's a sequel to the course. It's great and I would recommend it to everyone!

By Linda C

Jan 28, 2021

The course was challenging to me because of the math, but the examples and concepts were explained and reviewed so everything built on each other and made sense. Randles Lagerstrom was an engaging instructor. I enjoyed the brief tangents and asides, which gave proof to the narrow focus of this course.

By Aman B

Oct 18, 2017

Excellent course which explores every concept of the theory deeply. It is a very interesting experience to see the theory build up little by little from scratch.

The discussions forums are great with active mentors.

I highly recommend it to anyone interested in science and willing to take some time out!

By Stephen C H

Jan 8, 2021

An excellent and well presented course that patiently describes the Special theory and is easily understandable. Be prepared to concentrate and spend 6-8 hours per week to get full value from this. I think Larry is a very good instructor who makes the critical concepts very clear. Highly recommended.

By Amanda N

Oct 3, 2021

For someone that has basic physics and maths background, this course really helped me understand more about Einstein and his work. Not too intimidating and not too easy either. Just the right amount of academic rigor for me to delve into other physics courses if I decide to. Thumbs up for Stanford!

By Gihan I

Sep 20, 2021

Dr. Lagerstrom is outstanding in his methodical & structured presentation. The quizzes throughout the course and the additional supplementary questions are invaluable. The guidelines he gives at the beginning of the course hold in good stead for this course and for any others too. Excellent course.