A very thorough and complete explanation of the Special Relativity theory. Finally a really good pedagogical approach is used to explain to plain people like me concepts that are proven for more than a century but still a mystery for most. Having very important scientific concepts explained to our society can mitigate the terrible challenges we shall confront in the coming decades.

Thank you very much to Stanford University and specially to Dr Lagerstrom.

Amazing course! Great pace, starting slowly from the basics and advancing step by step, building up to understand the Special Theory of Relativity to a level that I find is (much) more than good enough for someone who's just curious about it. Math included but, again, it is presented step by step so it's easy to follow even for someone with not much scientific background.

Really wish a part 2 with General Relativity taught by same professor would come :)

About sixty years ago, I remember discussing the various formulas regarding special relativity in one of my advanced college physics courses. There was very little background presented regarding the historical development of the formulas (e.g. Lorentz transformation, Gamma). I really enjoyed the time spent on the space time diagrams. Those diagrams have provided me with a much deeper understanding of the foundational elements of special relativity.

It is amazing to have access to such an interesting, well taught class through this free app. Prfessor Lagerstrom takes material that is often considered extremely difficult and explains it in such clear and concise terms that it can be understood by just about anyone. The required math is not much beyond basiic algebra and you can come away with a much deeper understanding of the way the universe works as well as a nice look at Einstein as a person.

Hola, me ha encantado el curso. Al principio pensé que no se avanzaba en contenido y que no se iba a profundizar en la teoria especial de la relatividad. Pero poco a poco vamos descubriendo cosas de una manera sencilla y lógica que te va atrapando, cada vez tienes mas ganas de ver que es lo que viene a continuación. Enhorabuena al profesor Larry Randles Lagerstrom, se entienden muy bien sus expiicaciones y creo que ha estructurado muy bien el curso.

It’s been like watching a good movie or reading an absorbing book; it ended too soon.

I'd say the course gives a large enough insight to the special theory of relativity with the right final touch on the general theory to complete the basic understanding, and maybe to get the audience hooked for the next release. I’ve taken the bait.

Finally a genuine thanks to the instructor Larry Randles Lagerstrom and his team for the contents and their dedication

I would like to congratulate Mr. Randles for the magnificent explanations through out the course. He makes things very clear to the student with such a little resources. I really enjoy the course.

For me, as a beginner on this subject, the journey from week 1 to week 8 is perfect. Good practical information, good organization and plenty of references to continue learning.

Thank you for the opportunity of approaching Einstein and his work!

Javier Sanz

This was a very enjoyable and revealing course, covering what at first may appear to be a somewhat impenetrable subject. But the step by step approach and sensible progression of topics made the subject matter easily understandable, and the obtaining of that understanding a joyful and insightful experience. It can't be easy to teach such a course to camera, so big thanks to Larry Randells Lagerstrom.... he definitely deserves a strong lager!!

I would highly recommend this course to anyone with a general interest in Einstein and special relativity. The presentations by Professor Lagerstrom were exceptionally good. The material was presented in a well paced manner with great explanations of somewhat esoteric ideas. I also really enjoyed the historical narrative of Einstein's life before and after the "miracle year". It was so good I am almost tempted to go through the course again!

A fabulous course giving great notions and ideas of how things operate in the universe. Beyond the interesting part of this class, you will get a noteworthy approach enabling all to understand how things came out to be discovered. I think it makes sciences more accessible and anchored in the reality of our lives. Anyway, I loved it, the teacher is outstanding. It will be useful for my 12th grade in France and most importantly my future!

Easily one of the best course I've ever taken. I like how Dr. Larry really tries to build a strong foundation so his students - regardless of their background - can gain a reasonably deep understanding of the theory. It is a very well-made introductory course on the special theory of relativity, and it shows that everyone can understand this concept if they have the passion and the willingness to invest a little bit of their time.

This was not just a course, but an experience in learning. The professor took us through a journey of learning about a topic very difficult understand, and patiently led us through the learning experience with right amount of maths and excellent use of examples, quotes etc., to keep the interest alive all through. I wonder if some such course on General Theory of Relativity can be there, even if that is perhaps more mathematical.

I did the course because I had developed an interest in cosmology and felt the need for understanding Einstein theories. The course did this for me and also gave me insights into how scientists work. As a big picture thinker, I have limited patience for detail. The instructor, in addition to having extensive knowledge of the subject matter, is also a good educator and and thorough teacher. So well done and keep up the good work!

This was an excellent course about The Special Theory of Relativity. The topics were explained in a way that was easy to grasp with minimal math (mostly algebra). If there's one thing to be improved for this course is to make this a 10-week course. Weeks 5 and 6 were quite long and anyone who is even slightly busy with other things in life will struggle to finish them on time. That's all. All else considered, I learned a lot!

This course is superb! The professor explains complicated concepts and mathematical equations in the simplest manner possible. I learned a ton!

Note: the course keeps mathematics at a minimum, so if you want a quantitative approach to the Special Theory of Relativity, this is not for you. However, even if you are looking for a quantitative approach, this course will enhance your conceptual understanding of Einstein's theory.

.Great. Very clear and we'll explained. Excellent course materials. Lecturer outlined the key points very well, with clear examples. The prepared notes were first class and the tests clearly focused on the critical concepts. Reference materials were selected to be highly relevant and introduced at the right time. I would love to do further courses by the same organisation and the same lecturer. I would highly recommend.

Until I took this thoughtful, extremely well organized course, I could not get my head around many of the weird concepts in Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, no matter how much I read about it. Prof. Lagerstrom is to be congratulated for the very excellent, logical manner in which he has taught this course. I would highly recommend this course to anyone seeking a great mental challenge and scientific curiosity.

I seriously love this course. It gave me a lot of insight in the realistic world. I love the way it is explained, it could not have been better! Thank you so much! This is the first course I have ever done, and I think I will move on towards the General Theory of Relativity. So much thanks again! This course changed my life, positively. I'm more motivated than I ever was. You are doing a great job, I love it. -Remko

As a geologist engineer, this course showed me that no modern physics can be out of reach. We all can play with these ideas and get a solid understanding of them. Prof. Lagerstrom really made the most important points clear and I got a clear picture regarding the Special Theory of Relativity, among history of science and other stuff as well. Great, solid course of which I can only feel thankful to Prof. Lagerstrom.

My idea was to undestand the Special Theory of Relativity from a qualitative point of view and this course really accomplished that. Although I don't speak English in my day to day, the teacher made it easy to undestand not using a lot of difficult vocabulary and writing and drawing on the board. I highly recommend this course for those who are curious and want to learn more about the Special Theory of Relativity.

Wonderful course that has opened so many doors of thought and knowledge. Thanks to the professor, Larry Randles Lagerstrom for his instruction and for bringing this amazing course of one of the greatest minds of all time to Coursera. My interest in physics has been piqued and i will continue to pursue a deeper understanding after this wonderful course. Thank you again to the professor and to the team at Coursera.

O curso tem uma abordagem minuciosa dos conceitos, num ritmo lento o bastante, permitindo uma contínua e eficaz apreensão do conteúdo da teoria especial da relatividade. O professor Larry Lagerstrom tem o condão de tornar simples o entendimento de conceitos contraintuitivos e aparentes paradoxos. A abordagem histórica, incluindo a vida e visão de Einstein, é um sabor a mais e ajuda a valorizar o aprendizado.

This is a great course for understanding concepts as the principle of relativity, the constancy of velocity of light, the relativity of simultaneity, the invariant interval, time dilation, length contraction, the famous equation E=mc^2 and a short introduction to the General Theory of Relativity with the Principle of Equivalence, everything in a quantitative and qualitative way given by an excellent professor.

This is a very wonderful course. I really enjoyed it. The professor really shared the insight of having a struggle to understand will lead to an ennobling, enriched experience and how we can look at the big picture of what the universe is like and how this works. Understanding Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity really helped a lot (in context and some key concepts of space and time). Thank you professor.

Course is very well organized and concepts are clearly explained and illustrated. Quizzes are well designed for review and reinforces the material covered. A lot of references provided for parallel and further exploration of the subject. Course is well balanced in the presentation of historical, humanistic, and scientific materials, making it very enjoyable for learning the subject with a broad perspective.