🚀 go-pugleaf

I don't understand why the rubber sheet analogy is so bad (but maybe I
don't understand the analogy).  The point of the analogy is to explain
how space can be "distorted," because this is a non-trivial concept.
The rubber sheet analogy illustrates this by showing distortions of a
2-dimensional space.  It is not sufficient to show the distorted sheet
to someone and say "see, this is what distorted space looks like."  It
must be explained that one must envision oneself being a 2D creature
confined to the rubber sheet, and that the interesting thing is what
space looks like in the presence of distortions.  The fact that the
distortions occur because the sheet is deformed in 3-space is not part
of the analogy.  Once one begins to understand what a "distortion" is,
the analogy becomes less useful, although it's still fun to drop coins
down the big funnel at the store.

- John
--
hagerman@ece.cmu.edu