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 theory of special relativity. Briefly, it discards absolute time and space and makes them in every instance relative to moving systems. By this theory all phenomena in electrodynamics, as well as mechanics, hitherto irreducible by the old formulæ — and there are multitudes — were satisfactorily explained.

"Till now it was believed that time and space existed by themselves, even if there was nothing else — no sun, no earth, no stars — while now we know that time and space are not the vessel for the universe, but could not exist at all if there were no contents, namely, no sun, earth and other celestial bodies.

"This special relativity, forming the first part of my theory, relates to all systems moving with uniform