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[Phys-L] Re: Assignment for Einsteinians

As usual people who doubt special relativity do so because they never think
through the so called paradoxes. The spinning wheel has the problem that
the observer at the center is not accelerated, but the observer on the rim
is continuously accelerated so special relativity can not readily apply.
However one can break it down into a series of no acceleration straight
lines, punctuated by an extremely brief acceleration. While it is true that
each observer will see the other as time dilated during the constant
velocity portions of the trip. However during the acceleration is when the
observer on the rim should conclude that the clock in the center has
suddenly moved forward. So when the two clocks are brought together the
outer one will be behind the one in the middle. One of the problems that
most people have is that they confuse "observe" with "see". Of course the
outer observer would not see anything strange about the clock in the center,
but they would "observe" or infer that the situation has changed.

Of course Einstein did make some mistakes as everyone does. One of the ones
that has been written about is the clock on the equator vs the clock on the
poles of a planet.

But of course most people never really accept Newton's laws, especially the
third one. They go "naw, a truck has to push harder on a car". Then there
is the majority of people in the US who do not completely accept evolution.
Some do not accept the holocaust, cosmology ... The reason is that these
things are usually taught by telling and students are not forced to reason
for themselves. Since less that 1/3 of the population functions at the
formal operational level this should not be surprising. However we now have
proof that it is possible to have 70% or more functioning at the formal
operational level. The failure is ours because we have not done what is
necessary to properly push student thinking up, and to help them really
learn the concepts. If you don't believe me read "Really Raising Standards"
by Shayer&Adey, based on their published papers in JRST in the early 90s, or
Feuerstein "Instrumental Enrichment", and finally Arons seconds this in his
book on teaching physics.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


Numerous experiments showed that particles traveling at constant
velocity behave as predicted by special relativity. A linear
accelerator, for example, has long sections in which the acceleration
is zero. A synchrotron also has vacuum pipes linking places where
particles are actually accelerated by electric fields.

Ludwik Kowalski
Let the perfect not be the enemy of the good.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
On Friday, Jul 1, 2005, at 11:45 America/New_York, Pentcho Valev wrote:

An accelerator is a confirmation of special relativity where
acceleration
is absent by definition? The problem with relativity is not that it is
wrong; rather, it leads to a destruction of rationality by forcing
people
to think in terms of oxymorons like this one.

Pentcho Valev


On Fri, 1 Jul 2005 08:27:37 -0400, Ludwik Kowalski
<kowalskil@MAIL.MONTCLAIR.EDU> wrote:

A high energy accelerator, such as synchrotron, is a convincing
confirmation of special relativity. One can ignore special relativity
in designing a cyclotron accelerating helium ions to energies of
several MeV but that theory becomes essential when v is no longer
negligible with respect to c. How can numerous experimental facts
(reliable performance of high energy accelerators is one of them) be
explained without Einstein's theory?

Ludwik Kowalski
Let the perfect not be the enemy of the good.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
** *

On Friday, Jul 1, 2005, Pentcho Valev wrote:

On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 01:51:44 -0700, Pentcho Valev <valevp@BAS.BG>
wrote:

All Einsteinians, both profane and initiated, should immediately
take
their
heads out of the sand and resolve the following problem. In Chapter
23 in
his "Relativity" Einstein claims that a clock at rest undergoes time
contraction, that is, runs fast by a factor of gamma relative to a
clock
situated at the edge of a rotating disk. The Juggler also claims
that
this
follows from Lorentz transforms. However Lorentz transforms predict
no time
contraction - rather, the only time distortion they predict is
symmetrical
time dilation for two inertial systems. So Einsteinians should prove
that
their god is not a Juggler and derive, RIGOROUSLY, the time
contraction
factor (gamma) from Lorentz transforms.

This problem deserves a lot of attention since it is crucial in many
respects. At this juncture Einstein stops plagiarizing Lorentz and
Poincare
and continues on his own. Consider two inertial systems K and K'. If
a
clock is permanently situated at the origin (x'=0) of K', according
to
Lorentz transforms, as judged from K, this clock runs slow by a
factor
of
1/gamma (see Chapter 12 in "Relativity"). Vice versa, if another
clock
is
permanently situated at the origin (x=0) of K, as judged from K',
this
clock also runs slow by a factor of 1/gamma. This symmetry is fatal
for
Einstein. In order for him to be able to continue on his own, as
judged
from K', the K-clock should run FAST by a factor of gamma. The
original
time dilation should somehow be converted into time contraction. In a
hypnotic footnote to Chapter 23 in "Relativity" the Juggler forbids
zombis
to use as a reference body the system K' when K' is non-inertial,
that
is,
when "relative to K' a gravitational field prevails". Zombis have no
choice
but to learn by rote the verdict of their god: from now on, as judged
from
wherever you like, the K-clock runs FAST by a factor of gamma. Of
course,
zombis also have the right to devise silly and confusing "proofs" of
the
new truth. However in 1905 the Juggler is still inexperienced in
mesmerizing and, instead of the periphery of the rotating disk
relative to
which "a gravitational field prevails", uses a closed polygonal line
relative to which no gravitational field prevails (except for
junctions
between inertial segments). If it were not for the hypnosis, zombis
could
apply the method used by Einstein in Chapter 12 in the case where K'
moves
IN A POLYGONAL LINE. They would find that, according to Lorentz
transforms,
both the K-clock and the K'-clock undergo time dilation (that is, the
twin
paradox is a real contradiction) and this absurdity would make them
abandon
the zombi cult. Unfortunately, the hypnosis is irreversible. Some say
it is
even hereditary.

Pentcho Valev


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