the general theory of relativity was published in 1915, ten years after the special theory of relativity was created. einstein's general theory of relativity uses the idea of spacetime. spacetime is the fact that we have a four-dimensional universe, having three spatial (space) dimensions and one temporal (time) dimension. any physical event happens at some place inside these three space dimensions, and at some moment in time. according to the general theory of relativity, any mass causes spacetime to curve, and any other mass follows these curves. bigger mass causes more curving. this was a new way to explain gravitation (gravity).