Specifically, it was his theory of special relativity (published in 1905) that challenged the Newtonian view of absolute space and time, introducing the concepts of:
* Relativity of motion: There is no absolute frame of reference for motion; all motion is relative to an observer.
* The speed of light is constant: The speed of light in a vacuum is the same for all observers, regardless of their own motion.
* Time dilation and length contraction: Time and space are not absolute but are relative to the observer's motion.
Later, Einstein further expanded on these ideas with his theory of general relativity (published in 1915), which proposed that gravity is not a force but a consequence of the curvature of spacetime caused by mass and energy.
These revolutionary ideas challenged the long-held, intuitive understanding of how the universe worked, replacing the comforting certainty of absolute laws with a more complex and dynamic picture.
