Dr Faustus of Modern Physics - Department of Speech, Music and ...

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96 CHAPTER 21. EINSTEIN: I DID IT! We shall see that the constancy of the speed of light is to be viewed as a definition and thus as analytic, while the equality of inertial and heavy mass is still an open game. Accordingly general relativity is much more difficult to assess than special. 21.3 Einstein’s Double Analytic-Synthetic Law Let us see how Einstein argues to make the constancy of the speed of light into a definition, which can be misinterpreted as a synthetic statement thus a double analytic-synthetic statement [6]: • The validity of the Law of constancy of the speed of light for all inertial systems (moving with constant velocity with respect to each other) makes it necessary to postulate invariance of all systems of physical equations which express general laws, with regard to the Lorentzian transformation. • The elaboration of this requirementfroms the content of the special therory of relativity. • This theory is compatible with the wave equations of Maxwell (because they are Lorentzian invariant); but, it is incompatible with the basis of classical mechanics (which is Galilean invariant). • This leads to the result that the Lorentz transformation - applied to space and time coordinates - must govern the transition from one inertial system to another. We read that Einstein starts from a Law of constancy of the speed of light, which when expressed as a Law appears to be synthetic as a statement about physical reality, a Law which requires the space and time of different inertial systems to be related by a Lorentz transformation. But by insisting that a Lorentz transformation must be used, turns the Law into an analytic statement ,which cannot be false: Length and time scales must be transformed according to Lorentz to make the speed of light constant: length contraction and time dilation must be accepted. By a clever double-play Einstein builds his special theory of relativity on a Law the validity of which cannot be denied. Mission complete! Special relativity cannot be disproved because it is based on a definition.
21.4. KANT’S SYNTHETIC A PRIORI 97 As indicated, it is still almost 100 years later unclear if the equality of inertial and heavy mass as the basic Law underlying general relativity, is a definition or a fact, a clear sign of mastery or the inventor of the Law. 21.4 Kant’s Synthetic A Priori Kant helped Einstein to formulate his double analytic-synthetic axioms of relativity by suggesting that there are synthetic propositions which can be decided to be true before observation of reality, referred to as synthetic a priori propositions. So Kant himself mixed analytic with synthetic, which Einstein played on so cleverly. Kant suggests that the truth of a synthetic a priori statement is based on pure intuitions or our a priori formal representations of space and time. In other words, we can use our own brains as the test bench for the truth of a non-analytic statement without reference to any exterior reality. Thus the brain is supposed to check out itself in a self-referential procedure, which connects to deep questions about mind and self... A synthetic a priori statement could thus be true for all humans with rational human brains, but not necessarily in all logically possible worlds, where only analytic statements could be true a priori without exterior observation. In the spirit of Kant we may thus ask if Einstein’s Laws of constancy of the speed of light and the equality of intertial and heavy mass, are synthetic a priori statements, which we can verify by “pure intuition”? Maybe Einstein could but it is not all clear that anyone of us is able to do so. Maybe Einstein by “pure intuition” could understand that “space-time is curved”, but my intuition seems to lack this capability... In any case, in science it is essential to make a clear distinction between a definition and synthetic statement and not flip back an forth using double definition-synthetic statements. To nevertheless do so represents a deal with the Devil, which ultimately will take its toll.
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Dr Faustus of Modern Physics Claes
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4 CONTENTS 6.5 Quantum Leap . . . .
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6 CONTENTS III Paradoxes and Catast
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8 CONTENTS 37.5 Heisenberg . . . .
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10 CONTENTS
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2 CONTENTS Figure 1: Einstein in fr
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4 CONTENTS
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Chapter 1 Deal with the Devil Newto
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1.2. BOLTZMANN: TRAGEDY OF CLASSICA
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1.3. PLANCK: FATHER OF MODERN PHYSI
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1.4. BOHR: DIRECTOR OF MODERN PHYSI
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1.5. PRANDTL: FATHER OF MODERN FLUI
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1.7. THE FAUSTUS LEGEND 17 from the
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Chapter 2 The Sacrifice The sacrifi
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Chapter 3 The Tragical History of t
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3.3. THE QUEST FOR MAGICS OF SCIENC
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3.4. THE PACT WITH LUCIFER 25 devot
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3.5. DR FAUSTUS SPEAKS 27 Figure 3.
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Chapter 4 Faust by Goethe What a ma
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Chapter 5 Oxford Faust Festival 201
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Chapter 6 Battle: Continuous vs Dis
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6.4. DAMNED QUANTUM JUMPING 35 tion
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Chapter 7 Zeno’s Paradox Hide our
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7.4. WHO RESOLVED ZENO’S ARROW PA
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Chapter 8 Wellposed vs Illposed I d
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8.4. SMALL CAUSE - BIG EFFECT: ILLP
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Page 60 and 61: 50 CHAPTER 10. BIRTH OF MODERN PHYS
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Page 92 and 93: 82 CHAPTER 18. END OF PHYSICS? and
Page 94 and 95: 84 CHAPTER 19. QUANTUM FIELD MAGICS
Page 96 and 97: 86 CHAPTER 20. MAX BORN: I DID IT!
Page 104 and 105: 94 CHAPTER 21. EINSTEIN: I DID IT!
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Page 111 and 112: Chapter 22 Loschmidt’s Reversibil
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Page 115 and 116: Chapter 24 The Twin Paradox Since t
Page 117 and 118: Chapter 25 Collapse of Schrödinger
Page 119 and 120: Chapter 26 D’Alembert’s Paradox
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Page 133 and 134: 28.1. LIFE AND WORK 123 constitutio
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Page 141 and 142: 29.1. LIFE AND WORK 131 Figure 29.1
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Chapter 32 Prandtl 32.1 Life and Wo
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32.2. CONFESSION 149 adheres to the
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Chapter 33 Motives Feeling and long
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33.1. SUMMARY OF MOTIVES 153 Figure
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Part VI Witnesses 155
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158 CHAPTER 34. STATISTICS: BOLTZMA
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160 CHAPTER 35. RADIATION: PLANCK
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162 CHAPTER 35. RADIATION: PLANCK
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164 CHAPTER 36. RELATIVITY: EINSTEI
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166 CHAPTER 36. RELATIVITY: EINSTEI
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168 CHAPTER 37. QUANTUM MECHANICS:
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178 CHAPTER 38. BOUNDARY LAYER: PRA
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180 CHAPTER 38. BOUNDARY LAYER: PRA
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Chapter 39 Nobel Prize: Planck The
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Chapter 40 Nobel Prize: Einstein +
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40.1. DOUBLE PLAY OF QUANTUM MECHAN
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Chapter 41 Atomic Bomb: Einstein +
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Chapter 42 Copenhagen Interpretatio
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193 Figure 42.1: Bohr and Einstein
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42.2. THE EPR CONTROVERSY 1935 195
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Chapter 43 Copenhagen Play Copenhag
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Chapter 44 Corruption of Climate Sc
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Chapter 45 Large Hadron Collider Ph
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Chapter 46 Mathematics as Magics
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Chapter 47 God as Mathematician or
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207 • Even if there is only one p
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Chapter 48 Penguin Logic Man has su
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211 • If we assume Heisenberg’s
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Part VIII One Mind vs Many Minds 21
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216 CHAPTER 49. GALILEO’S DIALOG
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218 CHAPTER 50. QFT AND MURDERER-VI
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220 CHAPTER 51. FINITE PRECISION CO
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222 CHAPTER 51. FINITE PRECISION CO
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224 CHAPTER 52. MANY-MINDS PHYSICS
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232 BIBLIOGRAPHY [13] A. Pais, Subt
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