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Re: Teaching logic is urgent (the only reasonable transformations)



Steve Speicher wrote:

-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Speicher [mailto:sjs@COMPBIO.CALTECH.EDU]

The Michelson-Morley experiment failed to detect a _stationary_
ether, but did not alone rule out a partial dragging theory, such
as that advocated by George Stokes, where there is full drag at
the Earth's surface, tapering off to zero at some distance. The
authors even acknowledged Stokes' theory in the conclusion of
their 1887 paper.

By itself the Michelson-Morley results cannot rule out ether dragging,
but the aberration of starlight (first measured in 1729 by James Bradley)
is incompatible with ether drag.

********************************************
" ... Do the homework."
- James 1:22 (paraphrased)
********************************************
George Spagna
Department of Physics
Randolph-Macon College
P.O. Box 5005
Ashland, VA 23005-5505
phone: (804) 752-7344
FAX (804) 752-4724
e-mail: gspagna@rmc.edu
http://faculty.rmc.edu/gspagna