Reddit reviews Relativity Visualized

Epstein also has a great book called Relativity Visualized that goes great with Thinking Physics.

Try reading Relativity Visualized by Epstein. It does not use any complex math and explains this in a very clear way.

http://www.amazon.com/Relativity-Visualized-Lewis-Carroll-Epstein/dp/093521805X

Special relativity tells us it couldn't work. That theory is very well tested in labs, so we have good reason to believe it's valid. I think with your curiosity you'd like the book Relativity Visualized. There are few equations. Mostly the author appeals to your intuition. You'd gain an excellent understanding of relativity.

The theory tells us that the speed of accelerating objects (e.g. particles in a particle accelerator) can ever more closely approach but never reach the speed of light.

It's not particularly small, but Relativity Visualized by Lewis Carroll Epstein is mostly pictures and is an awesome book.

Edit: by the description of the cover, maybe it's Thinking Physics, also by Epstein?

You are welcome to think of it as a vector analogy, it will make "sense" if you understand vectors. Every particle is of length of c, that is a constant. c is a vector (direction) and is fundamental to all particles. Your c is always projected along your time axis. When you move in space, your c is tilted compared to the other c's around you. That means that temporal projection of your c vector onto their time axis is shorter. Or if you wish, their projection of their c vectors onto your axis is shorter. The particles on the front of your body and the rear of your body are at different times, relative to other times. Just draw your a one meter length on their x axis and rotate it so that it is moving in their frame, it is easy to see that the ends are at different times. Your spacial projection of your particles onto other spatial axis is also shorter.

This conceptual model correctly summarizes special relativity. It is not the normal way it is taught but it is a well known alternative. See Special Relativity Visualized.

Enjoy your journey through space - time.

Enjoy the course! I'm an amateur with an interest in relativity. Most tests of GR are tests of the Schwarzschild metric. Check out Orbits in Strongly Curved Spacetime. The BASIC code for plotting orbits in Schwarzschild geometry is the 2nd link in the 1st reference. Also I highly recommend the books Exploring Black Holes and Relativity Visualized.