On 06/10/12 02:56, shuba wrote:
> Calling all cranks! Video conference begins in 12 hours, and *you*
> can join.
What is the problem? Causality is a philosophical assumption of
Classical philosophy. Theoretical physics began rejecting classical
philosophy around 1920. The classical assumption was that an effect (a
change) must have a cause preceding it - the two being linked by a
physical process. The nature of science was, according to this
philosophy, to try and understand the physical process. A "theory" was
an attempt to describe this physical process.
The new philosophy on which physics is now based rejects the
causality of classical philosophy so the fact that SR violates it, which
it does, is irrelevant.
"Strict, time-ordered deterministic causality through a unique set of
physical states is abandoned." PD
The new philosophy is accurately described as follows:
"....the most that human beings can aspire to is to make models of the
world -- we can never actually "know" what Nature herself is really
doing. We can only make models and test them." Tom Roberts
Understanding reality is no longer a part of physics. A theory is no
longer required to describe a physical process - it is simply a
mathematical model. The criteria for acceptance solely that it provides
accurate prediction in its domain of applicability. SR is a mathematical
model - or as Einstein described it a "principle theory" - same thing.
Those you call cranks are simply people who have not understood the new
philosophy, or cling to the classical philosophy - which is
understandable as it still underpins most other science.
This situation is exacerbated by the fact that the change took place
without debate and does not appear in the time line of the history of
physics. It was a take over started by Heisenburg Schrodinger et al. One
is taught how physics developed from Galileo until Einstein with the
assumptions of classical philosophy seemingly an integral part of
physics itself then suddenly you have Einstein being declared a genius
when according to that same classical philosophy he hadn't done much -
at least as far as SR is concerned.
Lorentz's theory is a classical theory. It puts forward an explanation
in terms of Maxwell's aether - why measuring rods get shorter when they
move w.r.t the aether. Their length being dependent on their absolute
speed w.r.t the aether. Einstein objected to that description but
totally failed to come up with an alternative. Some vague handwavy stuff
about "an aether without the immobility of Lorentz's" but no one took it
seriously.
The new philosophy didn't require an explanation, in fact an explanation
of the old type was considered a futile attempt to understand reality
cluttering up physics. The new philosophy said we can never actually
know what nature herself is really doing.
Many in this NG are confused because the philosophical basis of physics
past and present is not included in a course in physics and without it
the history of physics makes no sense. Classical philosophy was largely
intuitive so tends to correspond with everyday ideas of what makes
sense. Instead of explaining the change in philosophy to students, they
are told that "it does make sense - but is counter-intuitive".
Alfonso