Re: SR theory is simplistic

On Mar 5, 12:47 pm, bz <bz+...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
v...@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote innews:1173115769.966946.295930@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

<snip>

an ether is assumed in SR

No it isn't. Read Einstein's paper. Just because YOU would feel more
comfortable 'assuming an aether' does NOT make it so. The paper says it is
not necessary and no where in the paper does he make any such 'comforting
to you' assumption.

You've been discussing this very issue with John K for sometime now.
Einstein didn't give any rationale for his second postulate, but,
as John K says, it is based on the characteristics of a wave in a
medium. No other mechanism was known at the time which would yield
the second postulate. This has nothing to do with comfort. Either
you reject the second postulate as being false because there's no
logical cause for it without an ether, or you assume that the second
postulate is true without an ether and the mechanism is unknown. That
might be OK for awhile, but its been a hundred years and no mechanism
has been found yet.

as there is no other rational, logical basis
for the second postulate.

Your comfort does not make something logical. Your discomfort does not make
something illogical.

On the other hand, if you don't mind
throwing rationality and logic out the window, then ... .

I mind very much throwing rationality and logic out the window. Inserting
assumptions where they are not needed would do exactly what you accuse me
of doing.

Then, as John K has been asking you to do for some time now, explain
the cause of the second postulate without an ether.

Of course, if you want to define an aether as something that has only one
property, it carries EM radiation at c wrt every observer, but is otherwise
undetectable and not useful for anything else, your math will be exactly
the same.

An Earth-centered ether would explain gravity too.

If your faith brings you comfort, I will not try to take it away from you.
Comfort is often difficult to find.

You've wasted the "comfort" argument on John K too. Do you admit that
you reject logic and reason?

Vern

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: SR theory is simplistic
    ... comfortable 'assuming an aether' does NOT make it so. ... Einstein didn't give any rationale for his second postulate, but, ... postulate is true without an ether and the mechanism is unknown. ... Your comfort does not make something logical. ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Re: Photon, Momentum, Mass
    ... of light was constant is there wasn't an ether. ... You and John both have the actual history wrong in your minds, ... The second postulate of his 1905 paper is not the only possible one, ... most acceptable to his audience. ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Re: Photon, Momentum, Mass
    ... The absence of an ether is based on the details of how he reconciled these ideas. ... The second postulate of his 1905 paper is not the only possible one, but he selected the wording of the postulate he used in order to make it most acceptable to his audience. ... But then, you must put yourself into the mind-frame of that audience, which is the educated and knowledgeable physics community of 1905, not the hodge-podge around here to which you and John belong. ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Re: Alien encounter in 1996
    ... comfort zone, but I simply choose to exhaust all rational (and ... Call me lazy, but I don't know about you but each day I have to take ... I do have my disagreements with Jackson. ... John you take everything way too seriously and personal..... ...
    (rec.music.classical.guitar)
  • Re: Alien encounter in 1996
    ... comfort zone, but I simply choose to exhaust all rational (and ... facts, proofs, and amazing hidden knowledge. ... John you take everything way too seriously and personal..... ... That's exactly what John means when he says condescending! ...
    (rec.music.classical.guitar)