Final answer:
Einstein would likely clarify that his theory incorporates a four-dimensional spacetime fabric distorted by mass, resulting in gravity and differential time flow. The theory was revolutionary because it gave a new physical interpretation to gravity, supported by experimental evidence.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you were to describe the essence of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity to him, he might clarify your understanding by emphasizing the role of mass in influencing both spacetime and gravity. While it's true that mass causes a curvature in spacetime, Einstein would likely point out that it is not simply a matter of space being a three-dimensional sphere. His theory proposes that both space and time are interwoven into a four-dimensional fabric called spacetime, and this fabric is distorted by the presence of mass. The distortion of spacetime, in turn, tells matter how to move. The influence of mass on spacetime curvature is what we perceive as the force of gravity. Furthermore, the theory also includes profound implications for the nature of time itself, such as time dilation, illustrating that time can run at different rates under varying conditions of speed and gravity.
The innovative aspect of Einstein's theory was its ability to provide physical meaning to such counterintuitive phenomena, enabling it to maintain consistent behavior for light and other entities in all frames of reference. Einstein's intuitive leap in suggesting that gravity is the warping of spacetime itself was a significant departure from previous notions of gravity, and the correctness of his theory has been confirmed by subsequent experiments and observations, such as the bending of light by the sun observed during solar eclipses or precise time measurements taken by GPS satellites.