Naked Science Forum
On the Lighter Side => New Theories => Topic started by: Pentcho Valev on 05/06/2006 08:04:02
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Relativity hypnotists wish to know why Einstein was silent about momentum and mass of the photon:
http://www.physicstoday.org/vol-59/iss-6/p11a.html
Other hypnotists have provided the answer:
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SpeedOfLight/speed_of_light.html
"Einstein went on to discover a more general theory of relativity which explained gravity in terms of curved spacetime, and he talked about the speed of light changing in this new theory. In the 1920 book "Relativity: the special and general theory" he wrote: . . . according to the general theory of relativity, the law of the constancy of the velocity of light in vacuo, which constitutes one of the two fundamental assumptions in the special theory of relativity [. . .] cannot claim any unlimited validity. A curvature of rays of light can only take place when the velocity of propagation of light varies with position. Since Einstein talks of velocity (a vector quantity: speed with direction) rather than speed alone, it is not clear that he meant the speed will change, but the reference to special relativity suggests that he did mean so."
In other words, the speed of light can be 300000km/s in Position 1, 300001km/s in Position 2, 300002km/s in Position 3 etc. An even more informed hypnotist, Tom Roberts, explains further in sci.physics.relativity:
> Sam Wormley wrote:
> > Valev confuses *velocity* of light with *speed* of light!
> AFAIK Einstein basically thought in German, which does not have
> different words for "speed" and "velocity" ("die Geschwindigkeit" is
> used for both). Certainly his "velocity of propagation" could be phrased
> as "speed of propagation" without changing the underlying physics.
> Tom Roberts tjroberts@lucent.com
> Pentcho Valev wrote:
> > CAN THE SPEED OF LIGHT EXCEED 300000 km/s IN A GRAVITATIONAL FIELD?
> Sure, depending on the physical conditions of the measurement. It can
> also be less than "300000 km/s" (by which I assume you really mean the
> standard value for c). And this can happen even for an accelerated
> observer in a region without any significant gravitation (e.g. in
> Minkowski spacetime).
> Tom Roberts tjroberts@lucent.com
Note that the relevant problem is WHETHER THE SPEED OF LIGHT IS VARIABLE IN A GRAVITATIONAL FIELD, not whether the photon is massless. The variability of the speed of light in a gravitational field implies (through the application of the equivalence principle) that the speed of light in the absence of a gravitational field is c+v, where c is the speed of photons relative to the light source and v is the relative speed of the light source and the observer. This means that VARIABILITY OF THE SPEED OF LIGHT IN A GRAVITATIONAL FIELD IS FATAL FOR EINSTEIN'S THEORY AND MODERN PHYSICS IN GENERAL:
Albert Einstein:
"If the speed of light is the least bit affected by the speed of the light source, then my whole theory of relativity and theory of gravity is false."
"I consider it quite possible that physics cannot be based on the field concept,i.e., on continuous structures. In that case, nothing remains of my entire castle in the air, gravitation theory included, [and of] the rest of modern physics."
Pentcho Valev
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Ha-ha-ha!
__________________________________________________________
Roy P
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quote:
Originally posted by Roy P
Ha-ha-ha!
__________________________________________________________
Roy P
C'=C+V IS EINSTEIN'S DISCOVERY
The formula c'=c+v which is often advanced by anti-relativists is an anathema to Einstein's zombies. It implies that the speed of light depends on v, the relative speed of the light source and the observer. However hypnotists in the relativity cult know that Einstein himself has deduced this formula, in accordance with his principle of maximum absurdity:
Relativity hypnotists:
http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae13.cfm :
"So, it is absolutely true that the speed of light is _not_ constant in a gravitational field [which, by the equivalence principle, applies as well to accelerating (non-inertial) frames of reference]...... Indeed, this is exactly how Einstein did the calculation in:
'On the Influence of Gravitation on the Propagation of Light,' Annalen
der Physik, 35, 1911.
which predated the full formal development of general relativity by about four years. This paper is widely available in English. You can find a copy beginning on page 99 of the Dover book 'The Principle of Relativity.' You will find in section 3 of that paper, Einstein's derivation of the (variable) speed of light in a gravitational potential, eqn (3). The result is,
c' = c0 ( 1 + V / c2 )
where V is the gravitational potential relative to the point where the speed of light c0 is measured."
Other relativity hypnotists:
http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~phys16/Textbook/ch13.pdf pp.2-4
Note that V=gh=cv. Substitute this in Einstein's formula and you obtain c'=c+v.
The zombie world should immediately stop worshipping at the portrait of Einstein (who irreversibly destroyed rationality in science) and start worshipping at the portrait of the martyr, Bryan Wallace (who tried to reverse the irreversible):
http://www.ekkehard-friebe.de/wallace.htm
Pentcho Valev
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REBUILDING RATIONALITY IN EINSTEIN'S ZOMBIE WORLD
The first step towards the restoration of rationality in science (destroyed by Einstein's criminal cult) should be the recognition of the variability of the speed of light. That is, the speed of light varies with position in a gravitational field (and can become greater than c=300000km/s) and is c+v in the absence of a gravitational field, where v is the relative speed of the light source and the observer:
http://mailer.uwf.edu/listserv/wa.exe?A2=ind0606&L=chemed-l&D=1&P=24405
http://www.groupsrv.com/science/about159926.html
The huge camouflage utilized by relativity hypnotists involves misleading definitions of "variable speed of light"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_speed_of_light
and especially the idiotic claims that the speed of light is constant by definition and that it is constant relative to a freely falling reference frame:
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SpeedOfLight/speed_of_light.html
"At the 1983 Conference Generale des Poids et Mesures, the following SI (Systeme International) definition of the metre was adopted: The metre is the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1/299 792 458 of a second. This defines the speed of light in vacuum to be exactly 299,792,458 m/s. This provides a very short answer to the question "Is c constant": Yes, c is constant by definition!.....
In special relativity, the speed of light is constant when measured in any inertial frame. In general relativity, the appropriate generalisation is that the speed of light is constant in any freely falling reference frame (in a region small enough that tidal effects can be neglected)."
The hypnotist is teaching that, although the speed of photons varies with position in a gravitational field, if you fall freely next to them you will measure their speed to be constant, e.g. 300002km/s. The zombie world should analyse carefully the situation and find that this "constancy" has nothing to do with the constancy of the speed of light originally defined by Einstein.
Pentcho Valev
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'Relativity Hypnotists', 'Zombies', 'Criminal cults'. Are they appropriate definitions of your peers, PV? Why are you so confrontational?
__________________________________________________________
Roy P
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quote:
Originally posted by Roy P
'Relativity Hypnotists', 'Zombies', 'Criminal cults'. Are they appropriate definitions of your peers, PV? Why are you so confrontational?
__________________________________________________________
Roy P
CLAUSIUS: EINSTEIN'S TEACHER
Einstein achieved perfection in the application of the principle of maximum absurdity but the original discoverer was Clausius. See p. 39 in
http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/archive/00000313/00/engtot.pdf
"A more important objection it seems to me, is that Clausius based his conclusion that the entropy increases in a nicht umkehrbar [irreversible] process on the assumption that such a process can be closed by an umkehrbar [reversible] process to become a cycle.....But the assumption is far from obvious...."
In Einstein's zombie world the criticism "far from obvious" suggests that an idiocy may be discussed. If Clausius' assumption was "The length of the crocodile exceeds its greenness", that would be "far from obvious" again.
Pentcho Valev
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quote:
Originally posted by Roy P
'Relativity Hypnotists', 'Zombies', 'Criminal cults'. Are they appropriate definitions of your peers, PV? Why are you so confrontational?
__________________________________________________________
Roy P
STRING THEORY DISASTER FOR PHYSICS, DIVINE ALBERT IS NOT
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/articleArchive/jun2006/notevenwrong.php :
"That's how mathematician Peter Woit of Columbia University describes string theory. In his book, "Not Even Wrong," published in the U.K. this month and due in the U.S. in September, he calls the theory "a disaster for physics."
A year or two ago, that would have been a fringe opinion, motivated by sour grapes over not sitting at physics' equivalent of the cool kids' table. But now, after two decades in which string theory has been the doyenne of best-seller lists and the dominant paradigm in particle physics, Mr. Woit has company.
"When it comes to extending our knowledge of the laws of nature, we have made no real headway" in 30 years, writes physicist Lee Smolin of the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo, Canada, in his book, "The Trouble with Physics," also due in September. "It's called hitting the wall."
Pentcho Valev
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SHOCK IN EINSTEIN'S CRIMINAL CULT
For some time a housewife has been fiercely fighting Einstein's criminal cult:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2707332488059305178
Einstein's zombies have already destroyed many heretical lives but the housewife is something different. The creature that can deal with the situation is Albert HUBO:
http://www.physicsforums.com/blog/2006/03/16/albert-hubo-an-einstein-robot/
Albert HUBO is the only creature in the world that could hypnotize the housewife and convince her in the end that, although the speed of light is constant, it is variable and vice versa:
http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae13.cfm
"So, it is absolutely true that the speed of light is _not_ constant in a gravitational field [which, by the equivalence principle, applies as well to accelerating (non-inertial) frames of reference]. If this were not so, there would be no bending of light by the gravitational field of stars. One can do a simple Huyghens reconstruction of a wave front, taking into account the different speed of advance of the wavefront at different distances from the star (variation of speed of light), to derive the deflection of the light by the star.
Indeed, this is exactly how Einstein did the calculation in:
'On the Influence of Gravitation on the Propagation of Light,' Annalen der Physik, 35, 1911.
which predated the full formal development of general relativity by about four years. This paper is widely available in English. You can find a copy beginning on page 99 of the Dover book 'The Principle of Relativity.' You will find in section 3 of that paper, Einstein's derivation of the (variable) speed of light in a gravitational potential, eqn (3). The result is,
c' = c0 ( 1 + V / c2 )
where V is the gravitational potential relative to the point where the speed of light c0 is measured."
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SpeedOfLight/speed_of_light.html
"Einstein went on to discover a more general theory of relativity which explained gravity in terms of curved spacetime, and he talked about the speed of light changing in this new theory. In the 1920 book "Relativity: the special and general theory" he wrote: . . . according to the general theory of relativity, the law of the constancy of the velocity of light in vacuo, which constitutes one of the two fundamental assumptions in the special theory of relativity [. . .] cannot claim any unlimited validity. A curvature of rays of light can only take place when the velocity of propagation of light varies with position. Since Einstein talks of velocity (a vector quantity: speed with direction) rather than speed alone, it is not clear that he meant the speed will change, but the reference to special relativity suggests that he did mean so."
But Albert HUBO seems to have been withdrawn - no video can be found on the internet anymore. What is going on? Has the zombie world somehow discovered that, in the absence of gravitational field, the speed of light is c+v, where c is the speed of the photons relative to the light source and v is the relative speed of the light source and the observer?
Pentcho Valev
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CONVERSION OF EINSTEIN'S ZOMBIES?
Eistein's zombies will never stop destroying scientists' lives. According to rules established in Einstein's criminal cult, those who see something idiotic in "I measure your clock to be slower than mine and you measure mine to be slower than yours" should be losers, better dead. Yet for some time zombies have not been worshipping Divine Albert very fiercely. What could be the reason? I suspect zombies are worrying over the following problem:
http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae13.cfm
"So, it is absolutely true that the speed of light is _not_ constant in a gravitational field [which, by the equivalence principle, applies as well to accelerating (non-inertial) frames of reference]. If this were not so, there would be no bending of light by the gravitational field of stars. One can do a simple Huyghens reconstruction of a wave front, taking into account the different speed of advance of the wavefront at different distances from the star (variation of speed of light), to derive the deflection of the light by the star.
Indeed, this is exactly how Einstein did the calculation in:
'On the Influence of Gravitation on the Propagation of Light,' Annalen der Physik, 35, 1911.
which predated the full formal development of general relativity by about four years. This paper is widely available in English. You can find a copy beginning on page 99 of the Dover book 'The Principle of Relativity.' You will find in section 3 of that paper, Einstein's derivation of the (variable) speed of light in a gravitational potential, eqn (3). The result is,
c' = c0 ( 1 + V / c2 )
where V is the gravitational potential relative to the point where the speed of light c0 is measured."
This is written by relativity hypnotists so its absolute truth is guaranteed. Yet those hypnotists claim that the speed of light is variable for an accelerating observer, in the absence of a gravitational field. Could then the accelerating observer measure the speed of light to be c+v, where c is the speed of the photons relative to the light source and v is the relative speed of the light source and the observer? True, the frame is not inertial - zombies could repeat this endlessly - and yet the formula c+v is something very very dangerous. Zombies don't know what to do but, just in case, they consider a possible future conversion. In the meantime the destruction of scientists' lives should continue.
Pentcho Valev
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i think this belongs in new theories and I will move it there tomorrow
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EINSTEIN'S NIGHTMARE
At some stage Einstein's business was quite good: the combination of the principle of variability of the speed of light (the c+v principle) and the equivalence principle was producing excellent predictions (e.g. the frequency shift factor confirmed in numerous experiments). However Einstein did not know how to deal with the idiotic principle of constancy of the speed of light (the c principle) whose miraculous corollaries (time dilation, length contraction etc.) had converted Albert the Juggler into Divine Albert but which nevertheless had become a terrible menace. In his panic Einstein decided to camouflage the idiotic principle by surrounding it with even greater idiocies. So in Chapter 7 in his "Relativity" Einstein knows no limits and claims that the principle of constancy of the speed of light is a corollary of the principle of relativity:
"For, like every other general law of nature, the law of the transmission of light in vacuo must, ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLE OF RELATIVITY, be the same for the railway carriage as reference-body as when the rails are the body of reference."
Pentcho Valev
quote:
Originally posted by Pentcho Valev
quote:
Originally posted by Roy P
Ha-ha-ha!
__________________________________________________________
Roy P
C'=C+V IS EINSTEIN'S DISCOVERY
The formula c'=c+v which is often advanced by anti-relativists is an anathema to Einstein's zombies. It implies that the speed of light depends on v, the relative speed of the light source and the observer. However hypnotists in the relativity cult know that Einstein himself has deduced this formula, in accordance with his principle of maximum absurdity:
Relativity hypnotists:
http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae13.cfm :
"So, it is absolutely true that the speed of light is _not_ constant in a gravitational field [which, by the equivalence principle, applies as well to accelerating (non-inertial) frames of reference]...... Indeed, this is exactly how Einstein did the calculation in:
'On the Influence of Gravitation on the Propagation of Light,' Annalen
der Physik, 35, 1911.
which predated the full formal development of general relativity by about four years. This paper is widely available in English. You can find a copy beginning on page 99 of the Dover book 'The Principle of Relativity.' You will find in section 3 of that paper, Einstein's derivation of the (variable) speed of light in a gravitational potential, eqn (3). The result is,
c' = c0 ( 1 + V / c2 )
where V is the gravitational potential relative to the point where the speed of light c0 is measured."
Other relativity hypnotists:
http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~phys16/Textbook/ch13.pdf pp.2-4
Note that V=gh=cv. Substitute this in Einstein's formula and you obtain c'=c+v.
The zombie world should immediately stop worshipping at the portrait of Einstein (who irreversibly destroyed rationality in science) and start worshipping at the portrait of the martyr, Bryan Wallace (who tried to reverse the irreversible):
http://www.ekkehard-friebe.de/wallace.htm
Pentcho Valev
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DIFFICULTIES EINSTEIN'S ZOMBIES OVERCOME
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691122016/002-1780808-4228868?v=glance&n=283155
"It's About Time : Understanding Einstein's Relativity"
by N. David Mermin
"The difficult, counterintuitive part is grasping the implications for moving frames of the absolute constancy of the speed of light."
Initially zombies feel somewhat sad as they juxtapose "absolute constancy of the speed of light" with the following texts written by relativity hypnotists:
http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae13.cfm
" So, it is absolutely true that the speed of light is _not_ constant in a gravitational field [which, by the equivalence principle, applies as well to accelerating (non-inertial) frames of reference]. If this were not so, there would be no bending of light by the gravitational field of stars. One can do a simple Huyghens reconstruction of a wave front, taking into account the different speed of advance of the wavefront at different distances from the star (variation of speed of light), to derive the deflection of the light by the star.
Indeed, this is exactly how Einstein did the calculation in:
"On the Influence of Gravitation on the Propagation of Light," Annalen der Physik, 35, 1911.
which predated the full formal development of general relativity by about four years. This paper is widely available in English. You can find a copy beginning on page 99 of the Dover book "The Principle of Relativity." You will find in section 3 of that paper, Einstein"s derivation of the (variable) speed of light in a gravitational potential, eqn (3). The result is,
c' = c0 ( 1 + V / c2 )
where V is the gravitational potential relative to the point where the speed of light c0 is measured. "
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SpeedOfLight/speed_of_light.html
" Einstein went on to discover a more general theory of relativity which explained gravity in terms of curved spacetime, and he talked about the speed of light changing in this new theory. In the 1920 book "Relativity: the special and general theory" he wrote: . . . according to the general theory of relativity, the law of the constancy of the velocity of light in vacuo, which constitutes one of the two fundamental assumptions in the special theory of relativity [. . .] cannot claim any unlimited validity. A curvature of rays of light can only take place when the velocity of propagation of light varies with position. Since Einstein talks of velocity (a vector quantity: speed with direction) rather than speed alone, it is not clear that he meant the speed will change, but the reference to special relativity suggests that he did mean so. "
Then the sadness disappears and the absolute happiness zombies have experienced since 1905 is restored.
Pentcho Valev
-
EINSTEIN'S NIGHTMARE
At some stage Einstein's business was quite good: the combination of the principle of variability of the speed of light (the c+v principle) and the equivalence principle was producing excellent predictions (e.g. the frequency shift factor confirmed in numerous experiments). However Einstein did not know how to deal with the idiotic principle of constancy of the speed of light (the c principle) whose miraculous corollaries (time dilation, length contraction etc.) had converted Albert the Juggler into Divine Albert but which nevertheless had become a terrible menace. In his panic Einstein decided to camouflage the idiotic principle by surrounding it with even greater idiocies. So in Chapter 7 in his "Relativity" Einstein knows no limits and claims that the principle of constancy of the speed of light is a corollary of the principle of relativity:
"For, like every other general law of nature, the law of the transmission of light in vacuo must, ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLE OF RELATIVITY, be the same for the railway carriage as reference-body as when the rails are the body of reference."
Pentcho Valev
quote:
Originally posted by Pentcho Valev
quote:
Originally posted by Roy P
Ha-ha-ha!
__________________________________________________________
Roy P
C'=C+V IS EINSTEIN'S DISCOVERY
The formula c'=c+v which is often advanced by anti-relativists is an anathema to Einstein's zombies. It implies that the speed of light depends on v, the relative speed of the light source and the observer. However hypnotists in the relativity cult know that Einstein himself has deduced this formula, in accordance with his principle of maximum absurdity:
Relativity hypnotists:
http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae13.cfm :
"So, it is absolutely true that the speed of light is _not_ constant in a gravitational field [which, by the equivalence principle, applies as well to accelerating (non-inertial) frames of reference]...... Indeed, this is exactly how Einstein did the calculation in:
'On the Influence of Gravitation on the Propagation of Light,' Annalen
der Physik, 35, 1911.
which predated the full formal development of general relativity by about four years. This paper is widely available in English. You can find a copy beginning on page 99 of the Dover book 'The Principle of Relativity.' You will find in section 3 of that paper, Einstein's derivation of the (variable) speed of light in a gravitational potential, eqn (3). The result is,
c' = c0 ( 1 + V / c2 )
where V is the gravitational potential relative to the point where the speed of light c0 is measured."
Other relativity hypnotists:
http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~phys16/Textbook/ch13.pdf pp.2-4
Note that V=gh=cv. Substitute this in Einstein's formula and you obtain c'=c+v.
The zombie world should immediately stop worshipping at the portrait of Einstein (who irreversibly destroyed rationality in science) and start worshipping at the portrait of the martyr, Bryan Wallace (who tried to reverse the irreversible):
http://www.ekkehard-friebe.de/wallace.htm
Pentcho Valev
-
DIFFICULTIES EINSTEIN'S ZOMBIES OVERCOME
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691122016/002-1780808-4228868?v=glance&n=283155
"It's About Time : Understanding Einstein's Relativity"
by N. David Mermin
"The difficult, counterintuitive part is grasping the implications for moving frames of the absolute constancy of the speed of light."
Initially zombies feel somewhat sad as they juxtapose "absolute constancy of the speed of light" with the following texts written by relativity hypnotists:
http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae13.cfm
" So, it is absolutely true that the speed of light is _not_ constant in a gravitational field [which, by the equivalence principle, applies as well to accelerating (non-inertial) frames of reference]. If this were not so, there would be no bending of light by the gravitational field of stars. One can do a simple Huyghens reconstruction of a wave front, taking into account the different speed of advance of the wavefront at different distances from the star (variation of speed of light), to derive the deflection of the light by the star.
Indeed, this is exactly how Einstein did the calculation in:
"On the Influence of Gravitation on the Propagation of Light," Annalen der Physik, 35, 1911.
which predated the full formal development of general relativity by about four years. This paper is widely available in English. You can find a copy beginning on page 99 of the Dover book "The Principle of Relativity." You will find in section 3 of that paper, Einstein"s derivation of the (variable) speed of light in a gravitational potential, eqn (3). The result is,
c' = c0 ( 1 + V / c2 )
where V is the gravitational potential relative to the point where the speed of light c0 is measured. "
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SpeedOfLight/speed_of_light.html
" Einstein went on to discover a more general theory of relativity which explained gravity in terms of curved spacetime, and he talked about the speed of light changing in this new theory. In the 1920 book "Relativity: the special and general theory" he wrote: . . . according to the general theory of relativity, the law of the constancy of the velocity of light in vacuo, which constitutes one of the two fundamental assumptions in the special theory of relativity [. . .] cannot claim any unlimited validity. A curvature of rays of light can only take place when the velocity of propagation of light varies with position. Since Einstein talks of velocity (a vector quantity: speed with direction) rather than speed alone, it is not clear that he meant the speed will change, but the reference to special relativity suggests that he did mean so. "
Then the sadness disappears and the absolute happiness zombies have experienced since 1905 is restored.
Pentcho Valev
-
EINSTEIN'S SIN
The experiment of Michelson-Morley should have led to two competing interpretations:
1. As far as the speed of light is concerned, Newton's particle model of light is correct. The speed of light is variable, c'=c+v, where c is the speed of photons relative to the light source and v is the relative speed of the light source and the observer. This interpretation is simple, even trivial: no miracles (time dilation, length contraction etc.) can be introduced.
2. The speed of light is constant, c'=c, independent of v, the relative speed of the light source and the observer. In this case miracles (time dilation, length contraction etc.) are obligatory - without them the falsehood of the principle of constancy of the speed of light would be obvious.
The first interpretation is true, the second wrong, and yet the second was adopted. That was the beginning of a wrong science of course but by no means a sin. The sin started when Einstein implicitly introduced the true c'=c+v interpretation, thereby obtaining correct results (e.g. the frequency shift factor), and conserved the false principle of constancy of the speed of light plus appended miracles, thereby destroying the rationality of generations of scientists.
In 1911 Einstein showed that in a gravitational field the speed of light is variable and advanced the formula
c' = c(1 + V/c^2)
where V is the gravitational potential. One can apply the equivalence principle as shown in
http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~phys16/Textbook/ch13.pdf pp.2-4
Note that V=gh=cv. Substitute this in Einstein's formula and you obtain c'=c+v.
Pentcho Valev
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A google search on:
"Initially zombies feel somewhat sad as they juxtapose"
Turns up 3 pages of results, on google science forums (fora ??), all or them by our friend Pentcho.
There's no way he's reading anyone's response to his copy-and-paste rants...
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Pentcho Valev FAQ
quote:
Is it possible to convince Mr Valev with rational arguments?
I doubt it. After he had himself raised the question of whether he was sound in mind (a question that may have occurred to others who were too delicate to raise it publicly), I tried to summarize the course of a dialogue with Mr Valev, which went like this:
Pentcho proposes a paradox that appears to undermine two centuries of thermodynamics. Nothing necessarily wrong with that — received opinion has been wrong about things for a lot more than two centuries before, and will doubtless be so again.
Someone offers some arguments as to why Pentcho is wrong and thermodynamics is OK after all.
Pentcho either repeats his original point or raises another quite different one. In neither case does he give any indication that he has tried to understand what is said by anyone else.
The respondent tries to explain what was said before.
Pentcho either repeats his original point or raises another quite different one.
After a few cycles of this it becomes clear that arguing with Pentcho is like arguing with creationists about evolution; it’s just a waste of time.
If Pentcho wants people to take his arguments seriously he needs to show some good faith by indicating that he is willing to take theirs seriously. He might also make a serious effort to fix his mail program so that it sends his return address properly. Saying he can’t do it and leaving it at that is too much like his response to everything else to be very convincing.
http://bip.cnrs-mrs.fr/bip10/valevfaq.htm#soundmind
Michael
Michael