In 1923, Max and Dave Fleischer created a silent animated film titled “The Einstein Theory of Relativity,” which illustrated the key concepts of this early 20th-Century scientific breakthrough. It’s fascinating to see how differently Einstein’s theory was explained nearly a hundred years ago. The marvels of modern technology chosen by the filmmakers include steam engines, steam shovels, and biplanes. A flight to the moon is illustrated by a man with a gas mask hopping into a massive artillery piece a la Georges Méliès’s interpretation of Jules Verne in the 1902 silent film “A Trip to the Moon.” (Goddard’s newfangled rockets had not yet made an impression, apparently.)

The Einstein Theory of Relativity 1923 from ricordidimenticati on Vimeo.

Historical amusement aside, it’s an entertaining and often beautiful way to learn about Albert Einstein’s famous theory.

Via Boing Boing.