In 2015, 18-year-old student Ryan Chester won a prestigious $400,000 prize for his video explaining Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity. This achievement was part of the inaugural Breakthrough Junior Challenge, an international science communication contest encouraging young minds to share scientific concepts in ways that inspire and engage the public. Chester’s video stood out among over 2,000 entries and showcased his remarkable ability to make Einstein’s complex ideas understandable to everyone.

The Special Theory of Relativity, first introduced by Albert Einstein in 1905, comprises two foundational postulates: the Principle of Relativity and the Principle of the Constancy of the Speed of Light. Chester tackled each principle in his video, showing how these concepts work using straightforward props and clear demonstrations.

The Principle of Relativity asserts that the laws of physics hold true in all inertial reference frames—meaning that objects moving at constant speeds experience the same physical laws. To illustrate this, Chester used a bowl of popcorn and a box in his backyard, showing how objects at rest relative to each other appear stationary despite Earth’s high rotational speed. Moving to a car, Chester demonstrated that objects in a constantly moving environment also remain stationary with respect to each other. However, once the car accelerated, the scene changed: objects shifted due to the altered speed, effectively illustrating the Principle of Relativity.

The Principle of the Constancy of the Speed of Light posits that light travels at a constant speed, regardless of the observer’s or the light source’s movement. Chester introduces the historical notion of the “ether”—a proposed medium for light travel once thought necessary in the 19th century. This theory was disproven by Einstein, who established that light’s speed remains constant in a vacuum, regardless of the speed of the source. Chester explained that, as objects move faster, they age slower from the viewpoint of a stationary observer, an effect known as time dilation. This aspect of relativity challenges our everyday perceptions of speed and time, suggesting that time moves differently depending on the observer’s motion.

Chester’s video not only captivated audiences but also had a significant educational impact. He won a personal scholarship of $400,000, with an additional $50,000 awarded to his teacher and $100,000 allocated to his high school to build a new science lab. This recognition highlighted the importance of making complex science accessible and demonstrated how effective communication can inspire others to learn and innovate. Chester’s work was an impressive achievement, marking the start of a promising journey in science communication.

Ryan Chester’s accomplishment has left a lasting impression on audiences and science communicators alike, proving that even complex scientific theories can be explained in an engaging and comprehensible way. His success in the Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a testament to the power of innovative teaching and the excitement of discovery, setting a high bar for future participants.