Re: Fw: Speed of light

From: Party of Citizens (citizens@vcn.bc.ca)
Date: Fri Jun 21 2002 - 16:03:57 MDT


How about EMPIRICAL proof that E = mc2? The best argument I have heard
that it is a valid equation is the assertion that the data of the many
nuclear reactors used for power confirms it. But I have yet to see these
data. Can anybody give a reference from these power plants that would
confirm the equation?
POC

On Fri, 21 Jun 2002, John Leppik wrote:

> I am new to this group, but I have been lurking long enough to know that it includes a lot of smart and well-informed people, so I will try a question that I have not been able to get answered elsewhere.
>
> Einstein told us that the speed of light was absolute and that nothing could go faster. I am aware of space bubbles and such which may make higher speeds possible in particular situations, but I am hung up on the basic case.
> If light can only travel at one absolute speed in a vacuum, how does it know what that is? It would know if it were a propagation in a stationary medium. It would know if it had an instantaneous reference to a stationary point. How else could it know?
>
> If I were traveling at half the speed of light with respect to my unknown stationary reference point, what would the absolute speed of light be for a light pointed forward? And what for a light pointed backward? How would light beam know to behave thus?
>
> If light has a reference to absolutely immobility in an apparently dynamic universe, where would that reference be? How does light reference it? What is our speed here on Earth with respect to immobility?
>
> John
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