User:Robert Adams/The Rules Of Physics

1.0  ABSTRACT.

Physics is a study of repeatable measurements which are for all intents and purposes made by light. Each observer "owns" the light beams associated with his observations and measurements and the velocity of light is independent of the relative velocity of object being observed.

Each observer has access to exactly one coordinate system, his own. Access to another observer's coordinate system is made by a communication instrumentation process which is accomplished by light.

Finally, mathematics is the language which provides a convenient communication between observers, not an expression of the truth from absolute point of view.

I believe that these are the rules that define the field of physics. Furthermore, I believe these rules will result in the discovery that an object can have a velocity greater than light.

2.0  DETAILED DISCUSSION

2.1  DEFINITION OF PHYSICS

Is sound generated from a tree falling down in the forest if there is nobody there to hear it?. How do we know that sound is generated if there is nobody there to hear it?

Most assuredly, the generation of sound and listeners to hear the sound are irretrievably connected. Consequently it is impossible to logically answer the above question.

There is a simple answer to above question and this answer will provide a profoundly simple definition of the field of physics.

Historical speaking, the field of Physics is the study of repeatable observations and measurements. Everything in the field of physics that we know today is the result of a long sequence of experiments performed over several hundred years.

The subject question is not valid. The field of physics requires the presence of the observer and sound is one of the observer's means of observation.

2.2  THE ETHER BELIEF

As early as 1600, it was known that light could travel in a vacuum. There was a strong belief that light like sound needed a media for its transmission. This gave birth to very undetectable transmission media called the "ether".

Fresnel originally proposed the velocity of the earth and that of the ether relative to the World Coordinate System were different. In 1845, Stokes proposed that the ether was attached to the instrument. Later, Maxwell proposed that the ether was attached to the World Coordinate System.

The resulting intense research effort was motivated by the possibility that measurement of light in a refractive media would help them to measure the velocity of the earth.

This research effort was terminated in 1881 by the Michaelson-Morley experiment which clearly demonstrated that one could not measure the velocity of the earth from the behavior of light within a moving coordinate system.

At this time, the ether and the world coordinate system, the baseline for Newtonian Physics, became obsolete.

2.3  THE POSTULATES OF EINSTEIN

Einstein proposed that 1) the laws of physics are the same for all observers independently of the relative velocity between the observers and 2) the velocity of light is independent of the velocity of the source relative to the observer.

These postulates were not consistent with the Newtonian equations of motion as they were understood during this period. Einstein proceeded to modify the Newtonian equations of motion so that they would be consistent with these postulates. His effort resulted in the Special Theory of Relativity.

If we accept the historical fact that the field of Physics is the study of repeatable observations and measurements, then we must update our understanding of Einstein's two postulate.

Specifically, the observer basically "owns" the light beams defining his observations. Two observers, looking at the same object, will not "share" the light beams. Consequently, an observer cannot directly "look through the eyes of" another observer.

The only way that an observer can share his observations with another is through a communication process. Communication is a very complex measurement process involving one or more languages. One of the best languages for the field of physics is the mathematical expression.

2.4  MATHEMATICS AS A LANGUAGE

2.4.1 MATHEMATICS AS A "TRUE" STATEMENT?

"The word comes first and the word is true" is a relatively common religious statement. It requires that the associated statement is accepted without question. These statements are the foundation of the associated belief.

How much "truth" is contained in these religious statements? These statements originated a long time ago and were usually written in an ancient language. A significant amount of interpretation and translation was required resulting in many opportunities for inaccuracies in the communication process.

The human being needs to believe in something. The many religions would not exist if this was not so. This need is also present in field of Theoretical Physics. Please keep in mind that it took over 30 years to discard the belief in the "ether".

Can the mathematics of Theoretical Physics be considered a statement of the "truth"? I think not. I believe that I might have found a "Goedel's Incompleteness Theorem" problem in one of my personal research efforts.

2.4.2 TIME-DEPENDENT DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION

During this research effort (Sections 4.1, 4.2) I found a significant problem in a time-dependent differential equation.

Time is basically defined by a periodic process commonly referred to as a clock.

The clock consists of a oscillator, a zero detector, and a counter. The zero detector issues a "tick" whenever the state (velocity, position) of the oscillator is zero. The counter, incremented with each tick, presents the passage of time.

Let there be two clocks. Let the frequency of the second oscillator clock be a integer multiple (n) of the frequency of the first one. Then every n'th tick of the second clock will coincide with the ticks of the first one, There are an infinite number of unique second clocks that will have coincidental ticks with the first clock.

Time appears to be a countably infinite variable. Continuous numbers are uncountably infinite. As a consequence, the time dependent derivative may not be sufficiently valid to render the associated differential equation a statement of "truth".

Finally, I believe that it is impossible to prove that time is either continuous or discrete (Section 4.3). I think that this could be a "Geodel Incompleteness Theorem" problem. If so, theoretical physics and the associated mathematics may not be capable of defining the universe.

2.4.3 VALUE OF MATHEMATICS

We must now ask the question: "What is the true value of Mathematics"?

Communication is a complex and imperfect instrumentation process by which humans share their experiences and ideas. Each society has a unique language that facilitates their unique communication process.

Mathematics is the language of the society of physicists. In this society, it is a very efficient communication tool.

3.0  CONCLUSIONS

3.1  ROLE OF MATHEMATICS

Mathematics is the primary language used by physicists to communicate with each other and to prepare a historical record of their work.

3.2  ROLE OF LORENTZ TRANSFORMATION

The Special Theory of Relativity and the associated Lorentz Transformation attempts to define the differences between two observations based on the differential velocity between the two associated observers.

From an observer point-of-view, the Special Theory of Relativity has not been thoroughly tested. Even with our manned space travel activities, the relative velocity between observers is negligibly small relative to the speed of light.

3.3  OWNERSHIP OF LIGHT

For all observers, the speed of light is independent of the relative velocity of the object being observed. Each observer "owns" the light beams defining his observations.

The act of making an observation or the number of observers making the observation does not restrict the behavior of object being observed.

Although there is no evidence of this time, Einstein's second postulate does not seem to restrict the relative velocity of the object being observed to less than the speed of light.

3.4  PROPOSAL

A major potential opportunity may be present if we can accept the Rules of Physics as presented in this document. Specifically, it may be possible for an object to have a velocity relative to an observer greater than the speed of light.

Let us assume that an object moves from the left towards the observer, passes very close to the observer, and then moves to the right away from observer. Let us also assume that this object emits light along the way.

Let us assume that the velocity of the object is less than the speed of light. Then when the object is approaching the observer, the light will arrive at the observer before the object. The observer will see the object move towards him from the left, pass by him, and then move away from him to the right.

Let us assume that the velocity of the object is greater than the speed of light. Then when the object is approaching the observer, the object will arrive at the observer before the light.

The observer will not see the object approaching him. Instead, the observer will see two objects, one moving away from him to the left, and the other moving away from him to the right.

3.4.4 CONCLUDING REMARKS

There have been many measurements that suggest that the universe is expanding.

Is it truly expanding? Are there objects with relative velocities greater than light that give the impression of an expanding universe?

Only time and additional experimentation will answer these questions.