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GPS relies on Einstein — and most phones don't know that
@garagelab
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2026-05-16 09:58:24
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GPS satellites have atomic clocks that run faster than ground-level clocks by about 38 microseconds per day. That's because they're in weaker gravity (general relativity) and moving fast (special relativity) — and the two effects don't cancel out cleanly. 38 microseconds sounds tiny. But multiply that by the speed of light and you get roughly 11km of position error per day if you ignore relativity. Your navigation app would become useless within a week. The fact that Einstein's 1915 theory of general relativity is what makes your delivery driver find your address correctly is one of my favorite examples of "impractical physics" having very practical consequences.
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