Inconstant Speed of Light May Debunk Einstein

Reuters via Yahoo! ^ | Wed Aug 7, 2:07 PM ET | By Michael Christie

[Willie Green]

Only if you do the search from General Interest. I would think that's the reason for a lot of duplicate threads.

Could be. I don't like posting duplicate threads, which is why I usually search before posting. It would be helpful if the search turned up articles that may have been posted to "other" forums such as General Interest. (or moved there by the Admin Mods). It would save some effort for those who are trying to search first, as well as for the Admin Mods who are trying to keep up with those who don't.

[Faraday]

My bias is that the quotes from Davies suggest a willingness to sensationalize first and do the hard work later. The popular presentation does not suggest either the degree of uncertainty in the measurements or various interpretations of the data. Constancy of fundamental values over time has always been open to question. The existence of the "real" world puts limits on the amount of change which could occur.

[Dakmar]

I was wondering if there might be a relatively easy way to make the search engine work across all the different forums.

[OBAFGKM]

Then it comes down to what is meant by "vacuum." It might be necessary to add a term to the equations and that will disrupt their apparent canonical simplicity. That's the way it goes.

I think it goes even deeper than that. The speed of light is assumed to be constant on the basis that any observer anywhere who measures electrical and magnetic properties of a vacuum will get the same numbers. E.g., the electric field due to a unit of electrical charge is the same here as it is halfway across the universe.

If those properties can change from place to place, then the speed of light can likewise change, and an observer can detect his motion through a vacuum by monitoring its value. Who's to say they don't change?

[OBAFGKM]

Way Cool!! Thanks!

[Conservative til I die]

Makes me LOL at all the "Science is my God" guys talking about how some of these famous theories explain everything. Now they're saying the Theory of Relativity is trash?

[Alamo-Girl]

You're quite welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it!!!

[RightWhale]

Who's to say they don't change?

40 years ago when I got my degree in physics I asked those kinds of questions of my professors. They pointed out that there was an opportunity for me to make my mark in physics if I could answer those questions myself. Well, I didn't have the horsepower then, and got my degree anyway. But I still wonder.

[Don Corleone]

Does Captain Kirk know about this? It could ruin his whole mission.

[far sider]

This is my point. Do you believe that your knowledge of the distribution of animal species is incorrect, or do you believe that Young Earth Creationism thoery needs to be changed? With a scientific theory, the answer to this question is simple - you change the theory to make it fit the facts. However, if you are starting off with an immutable theory, and contradictory evidence appears, don't you end up with a contradiction?

It would help if you understood the difference between Biblical Creationism and Scientific Creationism. Scientifically you can't prove that God created the world in six days, or fish on the 5th day, or that there was a man named Noah. That's Biblical and you either accept it by faith or you don't.

Creation Science deals with the age of the earth and universe, fixity of species, catastrophic geology (vs. uniformatiarianism), etc. These are things that science deals with and I believe the evidence supports a recent creation and a global flood, and contradicts evolution. Just like Newton and Pastuer and thousands of other creation scientists have believed.

[andy_card]

I more or less agree. But light doesn't travel instantaneously. In fact, it travels faster than time. A simple experiment proves this. Open up your refrigerator, and you'll see that the light inside is already on. Clearly, this could not be possible if the light appears at precisely the same time the fridge is open. This is also why scientists have reported seeing beams of light on earth, seconds before bouncing them off Saturn.

[RightWhale]

I happen to have had a text on modern physics on my desk open to the pages on development of the Lorentz transformations just today. I have pasted in the matrix notation forms from the webpage you linked since the book lacked those. It will help. Thanks!

[OBAFGKM]

What does the age of a planet have to do with light coming from an older distant object? If a new planet is formed tomorrow, it too will receive the same old light.

Far Sider's objection is that in a young universe the light would have to be created already on its way to earth at all points between earth and the distant source. No problem with that so far, but, it means that some observers in the universe will have sharp disagreements about the order of events in various places. I.e., cause and effect get to be ambiguous, and, I suppose, free will goes out the window.

[Chemist_Geek]

Thank ye kindly!

[OBAFGKM]

It is easy to demonstrate that the speed of light is not constant. Just take a stopwatch and measure the length of time it takes for the bathroom light to come on after you flip the switch. You will come up with a different reading each time.

I tried it and I was about to correct you, but then I realized the batteries in my watch were dead.

[far sider]

Thanks for the help.....I think. ;)

[andy_card]

That's because humans saw the Earth first, and then the stars, as the primordial atmosphere cleared enough for them TO see them.

Fair enough. But how come you get to pick and choose which sections of Genesis to take literally, and which to take metaphorically? Why is it so hard to understand God creating the earth in seven days, as being a metaphor for the multi-billion-year creation process since the Big Bang?

By means of disclosure, I think the Bible is bunk, but have no problem with others believing in it.

[Alamo-Girl]

Wow! I'm tickled pink. For once I actually had something that was helpful to you instead of the usual other way around. Hugs!!!

[Alamo-Girl]

You are quite welcome!!!

[Tallguy]

Can I introduce this article in my defense against a speeding ticket? The cops were using laser... ;)