Re: CAUSATION IN PHYSICS

[Leigh Palmer <palmer@SFU.CA>]

At 9:46 AM -0700 10/15/00, John Denker wrote:

> 1) To answer Ludwik's question:  I see nothing to support Leigh's
> conclusion.  The only sentence that supports the conclusion is the
> concluding sentence itself:
> > For extended objects forces manifestly cause accelerations.
>
> When marking papers, I mark such things PbBA -- Proof by Bold Assertion.

I'm crushed! In my physics it is evident, manifest, obvious, clear
(I don't have a Thesaurus) that accelerations cause forces. Not even
my philosopher son would deny that, though my lawyer son might. You
are a physicist, John. Is it not obvious to you that forces cause
accelerations?

I consider force and acceleration to be exemplary of a causally
related pair of physical quantities. I can't think of a better one.

> The point may be "manifest" to some people, but it's not "manifest" to
> me.  There is no law of physics that requires it to be true.  There is no
> experiment that proves it to be true.

I guess that answers my rhetorical question. I sure would worry
about driving on the same road as John if he believes what he says.

Leigh