How computers can help us in creating an intuitive access to relativity

Abstract

Computers have added many new possibilities to the tool box used for visualizing science in general and relativity in particular. We present some new results from our own work: (2+1) dimensional Minkowski diagrams showing two spatial dimensions, extended wormhole visualization, and the illustration of accretion discs by using the approximation via a rigidly rotating disc of dust. We also discuss some related examples from our earlier work, such as interactive and immersive visualization, or the visualization of the warp drive metric. © IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft.