Paradoxes of the theory of relativity
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| Albert Einstein's theory of relativity is a set of two scientific theories in physics: special relativity and general relativity. These theories were conceived in order to explain the fact that electromagnetic waves do not conform to the Newtonian laws for motion. Electromagnetic waves were shown to move at a constant speed, independent of the motion of an observer. The core idea of both theories is that two observers who move relative to each other will measure different time and space intervals for the same events, but the content of physical law will be observed the same by both. With it he completely overturned our concepts of space and time with two seemingly innocuous, almost "obvious," fundamental laws, or postulates that we call, for utter lack of imagination, Einstein's first postulate and Einstein's second postulate. |
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Despite their apparent simplicity, these two postulates are incredibly profound and rich in consequences, and conceal paradoxes that defy our deepest intuition.
The laws of physics are the same in any coordinate system moving at a constant velocity. We call this the "special" theory of relativity because it is restricted to the special case when the coordinate system is not accelerating. Pretend that we are moving along in a boxcar with no windows, so we can't see out. If we drop a ball it falls straight to the floor. A balloon rises straight to the ceiling, and stays there. There is no way we can tell if we are moving. In fact, the earth is just like this boxcar, at least to the extent that the earth is moving at a constant velocity relative to the sun, relative to the galaxy, relative to the ...
No experiment done on the earth will detect the absolute motion of the earth. This statement is so profoundly true that there is, therefore, no meaning to the notion of absolute motion. All motion is relative to other bodies, and this is why we call it the "theory of relativity."
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Any scientist who claims that there are fundamental errors within the foundational methods used to obtain Einstein's General and Special Theories of relativity may be greatly ridiculed by his colleagues who do not read carefully. The reason for this has nothing to do with science but has everything to do with scientific careers, research grants and the like. Thousands upon thousands of individuals have built their entire professional careers upon these two theories and their ramifications. |
The theoretical science produced is claimed to be "rational" since it follows the patterns of a mathematical structure. As a mathematician who produces such structures, it is particular abhorrent to the scientific community if I make such a claim. Mathematicians seem to have an unsettling e.ect upon some members of the physical science community, especially when a mathematician delves into a natural science. After all, it was the mathematician Hilbert who, without any great e.ort, was actually the first to present, in a public form, the so-called Einstein gravitational field equations.
