Einstein and Gravitational Waves 1936-1938

TL;DR

This paper explores Einstein's evolving views on gravitational waves between 1936 and 1938, highlighting the scientific debate and corrections he made regarding their existence.

Contribution

It analyzes Einstein's changing conclusions about gravitational waves, illustrating the scientific process of correction and debate in theoretical physics.

Findings

Einstein initially doubted gravitational waves existed.

He corrected his earlier mistake and confirmed their existence.

Later, Einstein again concluded gravitational waves might not exist.

Abstract

Around 1936, Einstein wrote to his close friend Max Born telling him that, together with Nathan Rosen, he had arrived at the interesting result that gravitational waves did not exist, though they had been assumed a certainty to the first approximation. He finally had found a mistake in his 1936 paper with Rosen and believed that gravitational waves do exist. However, in 1938, Einstein again obtained the result that there could be no gravitational waves!