Re: Can Lorentz E Theory replace S. Relativity?? (is George Sagnac correct?)

From: Tom Roberts (tjroberts_at_lucent.com)
Date: 02/17/05 

Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 18:57:30 GMT

Q-on wrote:
> Anyone familiar with the work of George Sagnac in 1913 that put
> in doubt the theory of Special Relativity of Einstein?

I am familiar with Sagnac's work you reference. It does not "put in
doubt" SR at all -- SR predicts the effect observed, to within the
expeirmental errors.

Re: your subject line -- Lorentz's theory is experimentally
indistinguishable from SR. But in Lorentz's theory the observed
equivalence of local inertial frames occurs via an extraordinary
cancellation, whereas in SR it is a natural symmetry of spacetime. In
the early 1900s one might have argued the merits of the two theories,
but today the power of such symmetry principles has proven to be so
powerful and essential to progress in theoretical physics, that
Lorentz's theory has achieved a well-deserved oblivion. Lorentz himself
acknowledged the superiority of Einstein's approach.

Tom Roberts tjroberts@lucent.com

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