force sensors

["Rauber, Joel Phys" <RAUBERJ@mg.sdstate.edu>]

3 points:

1)  It was written:

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> If a spring scale is a sensor then it seems to me that it measures a force
> without first measuring an acceleration.
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This is precisely the an instrument I had in mind when I said it doesn't 
work except by measuring acceleration first.

When you use a spring scale to determine a force you must FIRST make sure 
the acceleration of the tip in the spring is zero relative to the other end. 
Then you measure the elongation and using hook's law equate it to the force 
you are measuring.  You first had to make an acceleration determination!

2) BTW I'm not quoting it, but the body is an instrument just like a spring 
scale, so I see little distinction between saying the thread has changed 
from talking about human bodies to instruments.

3) Brian wrote:
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> One point in Marlow's favor: Joel (?) mentions a time sequence of events,
> i.e. a cause and an effect.
> This does not endear his argument to me for this reason alone.
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Can you elaborate?  What's wrong with time sequences? (SR afffects not 
withstanding)  More importantly, what is wrong with the idea of cause and 
effect?  In my mind that is what science is all about, the belief in cause 
and effect, i.e. causes precede their effects.  If this is not the case the 
universe is basically not understandable.

Joel