Article View: sci.physics
Article #7530Speed of light
From: KFL
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1986 00:22
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1986 00:22
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1620 bytes
From: "Keith F. Lynch" <KFL@MX.LCS.MIT.EDU>
From: columbia!heathcliff.columbia.edu!zdenek@Seismo.arpa (Zdenek Radouch)
Let me remind you that the constant speed of light is not an implication
of the new definition of meter. The speed of light is assumed to be
constant. The definition is based on that assumption.
But given the current definition, how could one falsify the
assumption that the speed of light is constant?
It doesn't make any sense to use this definition when questioning constant
speed of light.
Right. One can't question it.
If we find that speed of light really is changing, we are going to get
rid of the definition.
Given the definition, we can't find that it is changing.
Consider this:
I am going to define the length of meter in terms of the length of the
second and the speed of my car. Then I can say that the speed of my car
is constant...
Right. Your gas pedal then changes the length of the meter instead
of the speed of the car. Other than being horribly unintuitive and not
very useful in terms of physics and engineering, what's wrong with that?
...Keith
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Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!sri-unix!hplabs!decwrl!pyramid!ctnews!gypsy!andrew!KFL@MX.LCS.MIT.EDU From: KFL@MX.LCS.MIT.EDU Newsgroups: sci.physics Subject: Speed of light Message-ID: <258@sri-arpa.ARPA> Date: Sun, 23-Nov-86 19:22:55 EST Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.258 Posted: Sun Nov 23 19:22:55 1986 Date-Received: Mon, 24-Nov-86 22:14:43 EST Lines: 31