THE LIFE OF A PHYSICS GRADUATE STUDENT #8

From Parry Moon and Domina Spencer, "Some Electromagnetic Paradoxes," Journal of the Franklin Institute 260.5 (1955): 373-395.

"Electromagnetic theory is undoubtedly one of the most imposing theoretical edifices reared by the mind of man. It is a work of genius —of Maxwell, Hertz, Lorenz, Lorentz, Poincaré, Einstein. Y̲e̲t̲ ̲i̲t̲ ̲D̲O̲E̲S̲ ̲N̲O̲T̲ ̲F̲O̲R̲M̲ ̲A̲ ̲L̲O̲G̲I̲C̲A̲L̲ ̲W̲H̲O̲L̲E̲,̲ ̲a̲s̲ ̲e̲v̲i̲d̲e̲n̲c̲e̲d̲ ̲b̲y̲ ̲n̲u̲m̲e̲r̲o̲u̲s̲ ̲p̲a̲r̲a̲d̲o̲x̲e̲s̲. Classical theory is built up of pieces, each admirable in its way but not fitting too comfortably into the whole. . . . I̲n̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲f̲o̲l̲l̲o̲w̲i̲n̲g̲ ̲p̲a̲g̲e̲s̲,̲ ̲w̲e̲ ̲c̲o̲n̲s̲i̲d̲e̲r̲ ̲a̲ ̲n̲u̲m̲b̲e̲r̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲p̲a̲r̲a̲d̲o̲x̲e̲s̲.̲ ̲I̲n̲ ̲e̲a̲c̲h̲ ̲c̲a̲s̲e̲,̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲p̲r̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲ ̲i̲s̲ ̲s̲t̲a̲t̲e̲d̲ ̲a̲n̲d̲ ̲a̲ ̲s̲o̲l̲u̲t̲i̲o̲n̲ ̲i̲s̲ ̲g̲i̲v̲e̲n̲.̲ ̲T̲h̲i̲s̲ ̲s̲o̲l̲u̲t̲i̲o̲n̲ ̲i̲s̲ ̲i̲n̲ ̲a̲c̲c̲o̲r̲d̲a̲n̲c̲e̲ ̲w̲i̲t̲h̲ ̲c̲l̲a̲s̲s̲i̲c̲a̲l̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲o̲r̲y̲ ̲b̲u̲t̲ ̲d̲o̲e̲s̲ ̲n̲o̲t̲ ̲a̲g̲r̲e̲e̲ ̲w̲i̲t̲h̲ ̲e̲x̲p̲e̲r̲i̲m̲e̲n̲t̲.̲ It is the kind of solution that might be obtained by a scrupulous but inexperienced student. The reader may amuse himself by finding a classical approach that gives the correct answer. E̲a̲c̲h̲ ̲p̲r̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲ ̲i̲s̲ ̲a̲l̲s̲o̲ ̲s̲o̲l̲v̲e̲d̲ ̲b̲y̲ ̲e̲m̲p̲l̲o̲y̲i̲n̲g̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲i̲n̲t̲e̲r̲p̲a̲r̲t̲i̲c̲l̲e̲ ̲m̲e̲t̲h̲o̲d̲ ̲d̲e̲v̲e̲l̲o̲p̲e̲d̲ ̲b̲y̲ ̲C̲o̲u̲l̲o̲m̲b̲,̲ ̲A̲m̲p̲è̲r̲e̲,̲ ̲G̲a̲u̲s̲s̲,̲ ̲a̲n̲d̲ ̲R̲i̲t̲z̲.̲ ̲T̲h̲i̲s̲ ̲m̲e̲t̲h̲o̲d̲,̲ ̲u̲n̲l̲i̲k̲e̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲M̲a̲x̲w̲e̲l̲l̲ ̲f̲o̲r̲m̲u̲l̲a̲t̲i̲o̲n̲,̲ ̲c̲a̲n̲ ̲b̲e̲ ̲s̲u̲m̲m̲a̲r̲i̲z̲e̲d̲ ̲(̲1̲)̲ ̲i̲n̲ ̲a̲ ̲s̲i̲n̲g̲l̲e̲ ̲e̲q̲u̲a̲t̲i̲o̲n̲ ̲a̲n̲d̲ ̲t̲h̲i̲s̲ ̲e̲q̲u̲a̲t̲i̲o̲n̲ ̲g̲i̲v̲e̲s̲ ̲u̲n̲a̲m̲b̲i̲g̲u̲o̲u̲s̲ ̲r̲e̲s̲u̲l̲t̲s̲.̲ ̲I̲n̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲n̲e̲w̲ ̲e̲l̲e̲c̲t̲r̲o̲d̲y̲n̲a̲m̲i̲c̲s̲,̲ ̲n̲o̲ ̲p̲a̲r̲a̲d̲o̲x̲e̲s̲ ̲h̲a̲v̲e̲ ̲b̲e̲e̲n̲ ̲f̲o̲u̲n̲d̲.̲"

Images: © Franklin Institute of America


THE LIFE OF A PHYSICS GRADUATE STUDENT #7.

From Parry Moon and Domina Spencer, "Foundations of Electrodynamics" (Boston, MA: Boston Technical Publishers , Inc., 1965), 252.

"11-09. Accelerated Motion. The previous sections have dealt with the synchronization of clocks that are moving at constant relative velocity. We now apply a similar analysis to nonuniform motion in a straight line. Stations A and B (Fig. 11-04) have velocities vA(t) and vB(t) with respect to an arbitrary point C.

According to Figure 11-04a, where A is imagined to be stationary,
r2 =c0(tA1-tA2)= ∫c(t)dt.

Here the velocity of the original signal, however, may partake of the velocity of B and is thus written c(t).

If the same experiment is regarded from B's standpoint (Fig. 11-04b), the original signal travels at velocity c(t), while the return signal is from a stationary source and thus travels at velocity c0. Therefore,
r2+∫v(t)dt=∫c(t)dt
r2-∫v(t)dt=c0(tA3-tA2)
or
c0(tA3-tA2)= ∫c(t)dt-∫v(t)dt
where v(t) = vA(t)-vB(t). Addition of Eqs. (11-41) and (11-42) gives
c0(tA3-tA1)= ∫[c(t)-v(t)]dt
which is valid if and only if
c̲(̲t̲)̲=̲c̲0̲+̲v̲(̲t̲)̲

By replacing the scalars of the above derivation by vectors, one can readily extend these conclusions to the general case of accelerated motion with arbitrary direction. T̲h̲u̲s̲,̲ ̲s̲y̲n̲c̲h̲r̲o̲n̲i̲z̲a̲t̲i̲o̲n̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲a̲c̲c̲e̲l̲e̲r̲a̲t̲e̲d̲ ̲c̲l̲o̲c̲k̲s̲ ̲i̲s̲ ̲p̲o̲s̲s̲i̲b̲l̲e̲ ̲i̲f̲ ̲a̲n̲d̲ ̲o̲n̲l̲y̲ ̲i̲f̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲v̲e̲l̲o̲c̲i̲t̲y̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲l̲i̲g̲h̲t̲ ̲f̲r̲o̲m̲ ̲a̲ ̲m̲o̲v̲i̲n̲g̲ ̲s̲o̲u̲r̲c̲e̲ ̲i̲s̲,̲ ̲a̲t̲ ̲e̲a̲c̲h̲ ̲i̲n̲s̲t̲a̲n̲t̲,̲ ̲e̲q̲u̲a̲l̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲c̲0̲ ̲p̲l̲u̲s̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲i̲n̲s̲t̲a̲n̲t̲a̲n̲e̲o̲u̲s̲ ̲v̲e̲l̲o̲c̲i̲t̲y̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲s̲o̲u̲r̲c̲e̲.̲"

Parry Moon (1898-1988) was professor of electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1924-1988. His co-author, Domina Eberle Spencer (b. 1920), is professor of mathematics at the University of Connecticut. The equations transcibed above amount to a proof that the Ritz emission hypothesis is necessary to synchronize accelerated clocks. More papers from them soon. . . .

Images: ©1965, Boston Technical Publishers, Inc.


THE LIFE OF A PHYSICS GRADUATE STUDENT #6.

From Joseph Larmor, "Newtonian Time Essential to Astronomy." Nature 119 (1927): 53.

"T̲h̲e̲ ̲p̲s̲e̲u̲d̲o̲-̲s̲p̲a̲t̲i̲a̲l̲ ̲c̲o̲n̲s̲t̲r̲u̲c̲t̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲E̲i̲n̲s̲t̲e̲i̲n̲-̲M̲i̲n̲k̲o̲w̲s̲k̲i̲ ̲h̲a̲s̲ ̲g̲i̲v̲e̲n̲ ̲u̲s̲ ̲a̲n̲ ̲i̲n̲k̲l̲i̲n̲g̲ ̲a̲s̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲h̲o̲w̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲c̲o̲s̲m̲o̲s̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲d̲i̲s̲c̲r̲e̲t̲e̲ ̲e̲v̲e̲n̲t̲s̲ ̲i̲n̲ ̲h̲i̲s̲t̲o̲r̲y̲ ̲m̲a̲y̲ ̲b̲e̲ ̲l̲a̲i̲d̲ ̲o̲u̲t̲,̲ ̲a̲s̲ ̲i̲t̲ ̲w̲o̲u̲l̲d̲ ̲b̲e̲ ̲p̲r̲e̲s̲e̲n̲t̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲s̲e̲n̲s̲o̲r̲i̲u̲m̲ ̲(̲t̲o̲ ̲a̲d̲o̲p̲t̲ ̲N̲e̲w̲t̲o̲n̲'̲s̲ ̲t̲e̲r̲m̲)̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲a̲ ̲d̲i̲v̲i̲n̲i̲t̲y̲ ̲w̲h̲o̲ ̲w̲o̲u̲l̲d̲ ̲h̲a̲v̲e̲ ̲k̲n̲o̲w̲l̲e̲d̲g̲e̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲a̲l̲l̲ ̲o̲c̲c̲u̲r̲r̲e̲n̲c̲e̲s̲,̲ ̲b̲u̲t̲ ̲n̲e̲c̲e̲s̲s̲a̲r̲i̲l̲y̲ ̲i̲n̲ ̲a̲n̲ ̲i̲n̲c̲o̲h̲e̲r̲e̲n̲t̲ ̲m̲a̲n̲n̲e̲r̲; for coherence is foreign to direct awareness of the totality of things, being the compensation permitted to imperfect knowledge, to some degree artificially and arbitrarily, by relating the succession of events in some kind of coordinated fourfold index, or frame, of reference. This gradual development of coherence in the range of our experience in space and time, which is scientific method, must run into some calculus of representation, in this generalized problem provided by the multiple algebra of tensors.T̲h̲e̲ ̲m̲a̲t̲h̲e̲m̲a̲t̲i̲c̲a̲l̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲o̲r̲y̲,̲ ̲b̲r̲i̲l̲l̲i̲a̲n̲t̲ ̲a̲s̲ ̲i̲t̲ ̲i̲s̲,̲ ̲s̲o̲o̲n̲ ̲i̲n̲d̲i̲c̲a̲t̲e̲s̲ ̲t̲h̲a̲t̲ ̲t̲h̲i̲s̲ ̲c̲o̲n̲s̲o̲l̲i̲d̲a̲t̲e̲d̲ ̲p̲o̲i̲n̲t̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲v̲i̲e̲w̲,̲ ̲a̲p̲p̲a̲r̲e̲n̲t̲l̲y̲ ̲l̲o̲s̲i̲n̲g̲ ̲a̲l̲l̲ ̲d̲i̲s̲t̲i̲n̲c̲t̲i̲o̲n̲ ̲b̲e̲t̲w̲e̲e̲n̲ ̲p̲a̲s̲t̲ ̲a̲n̲d̲ ̲f̲u̲t̲u̲r̲e̲,̲ ̲w̲o̲u̲l̲d̲ ̲t̲r̲a̲n̲s̲c̲e̲n̲d̲ ̲h̲u̲m̲a̲n̲ ̲i̲n̲t̲e̲l̲l̲e̲c̲t̲u̲a̲l̲ ̲a̲b̲i̲l̲i̲t̲y̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲d̲e̲v̲e̲l̲o̲p̲,̲ ̲e̲x̲c̲e̲p̲t̲ ̲i̲n̲ ̲i̲t̲s̲ ̲v̲e̲r̲y̲ ̲r̲u̲d̲i̲m̲e̲n̲t̲s̲; at any rate until mankind have learned to deal with a formal pseudo-space in four dimensions with the same intuitive familiarity that they now cope with ordinary space in three dimensions."

Joseph Larmor (1857-1942) was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, the same professorship held by Isaac Newton (1642-1726) and Stephen Hawking (b. 1942).

Images from: 1) http://goo.gl/sPoHTX, 2) http://goo.gl/oY9Stx


THE LIFE OF A PHYSICS GRADUATE STUDENT #5

From Herbert Dingle, "Science at the Crossroads" (London, UK: Martin Brian & O'Keeffe Ltd, 1972), 179.

"E̲i̲n̲s̲t̲e̲i̲n̲'̲s̲ ̲a̲c̲c̲o̲u̲n̲t̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲h̲i̲s̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲o̲r̲y̲ [of relativity] in the same issue of 'Nature' [ed: February 1921] d̲o̲e̲s̲ ̲n̲o̲t̲ ̲m̲e̲n̲t̲i̲o̲n̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲e̲t̲h̲e̲r̲,̲ ̲t̲h̲o̲u̲g̲h̲ ̲i̲t̲ ̲g̲i̲v̲e̲s̲ ̲f̲u̲l̲l̲ ̲c̲r̲e̲d̲i̲t̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲L̲o̲r̲e̲n̲t̲z̲ ̲f̲o̲r̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲t̲r̲a̲n̲s̲f̲o̲r̲m̲a̲t̲i̲o̲n̲ ̲e̲q̲u̲a̲t̲i̲o̲n̲s̲ ̲w̲h̲i̲c̲h̲ ̲L̲o̲r̲e̲n̲t̲z̲ ̲c̲o̲u̲l̲d̲ ̲n̲o̲t̲ ̲h̲a̲v̲e̲ ̲d̲e̲r̲i̲v̲e̲d̲ ̲w̲i̲t̲h̲o̲u̲t̲ ̲i̲t̲.̲ Nevertheless, in an article also in the same issue of Nature, [James H.] Jeans wrote: 'Early in the present century Einstein and Lorentz suggested a tentative generalisation of this type, which is now known as the hypothesis of relativity.' N̲o̲ ̲o̲n̲e̲ ̲r̲e̲m̲a̲r̲k̲e̲d̲ ̲o̲n̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲s̲e̲ ̲c̲o̲n̲t̲r̲a̲d̲i̲c̲t̲i̲o̲n̲s̲.̲ The general confusion was complete and, as I have said, it has proved the chief means of preserving Einstein's theory, in spite of its obvious untenability, because of the freedom which it allows of switching from Einstein to Lorentz and back as occasion makes convenient." [1]

Wake up physicists!!! The Einstein coordinate-transformations (1905) are the same as the Lorentz coordinate-transformations (1904) and they are derived from geometrically analyzing object motion in the aether.

Professor Herbert Dingle was president of the Royal Astronomical Society from 1951-1953.

Images: 1) http://bit.ly/1ASeSDM 2) http://bit.ly/1xN2tjb


THE LIFE OF A PHYSICS GRADUATE STUDENT #4

From Lee Smolin, "The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, The Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next" (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2007), 52-53.

"[S]uppose for a moment that despite all the obstacles [of a unified theory of gravity and quantum mechanics], we still wanted to take ideas of a unified field seriously. Could these theories be formulated in the language of quantum theory? The answer was resoundingly no. No one knew at that time how to make even general relativity consistent with quantum theory. All early attempts to do this failed. W̲h̲e̲n̲ ̲y̲o̲u̲ ̲a̲d̲d̲e̲d̲ ̲m̲o̲r̲e̲ ̲d̲i̲m̲e̲n̲s̲i̲o̲n̲s̲,̲ ̲o̲r̲ ̲m̲o̲r̲e̲ ̲t̲w̲i̲s̲t̲s̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲g̲e̲o̲m̲e̲t̲r̲y̲,̲ ̲t̲h̲i̲n̲g̲s̲ ̲a̲l̲w̲a̲y̲s̲ ̲g̲o̲t̲ ̲w̲o̲r̲s̲e̲,̲ ̲n̲o̲t̲ ̲b̲e̲t̲t̲e̲r̲.̲ ̲T̲h̲e̲ ̲l̲a̲r̲g̲e̲r̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲n̲u̲m̲b̲e̲r̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲d̲i̲m̲e̲n̲s̲i̲o̲n̲s̲,̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲f̲a̲s̲t̲e̲r̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲e̲q̲u̲a̲t̲i̲o̲n̲s̲ ̲s̲p̲u̲n̲ ̲o̲u̲t̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲c̲o̲n̲t̲r̲o̲l̲,̲ ̲s̲p̲i̲r̲a̲l̲i̲n̲g̲ ̲i̲n̲t̲o̲ ̲i̲n̲f̲i̲n̲i̲t̲e̲ ̲q̲u̲a̲n̲t̲i̲t̲i̲e̲s̲ ̲a̲n̲d̲ ̲i̲n̲c̲o̲n̲s̲i̲s̲t̲e̲n̲c̲i̲e̲s̲. . . . By the time I began my study of physics in the early 1970s, the idea of unifying gravity and the other forces was as dead as the idea of continuous matter. It was a lesson in the foolishness of once great thinkers. Ernst Mach didn't believe in atoms, J̲a̲m̲e̲s̲ ̲C̲l̲e̲r̲k̲ ̲M̲a̲x̲w̲e̲l̲l̲ ̲b̲e̲l̲i̲e̲v̲e̲d̲ ̲i̲n̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲e̲t̲h̲e̲r̲, and Albert Einstein searched for a unified field theory. Life is tough." [1]

Wait, James Clerk Maxwell believed in the ether? But. . . . James Clerk Maxwell believed in the ether?. . . . Wait, James Clerk Maxwell believed in the ether? Then wouldn't?. . . .

Image from: http://bit.ly/1xYJ39Y


THE LIFE OF A PHYSICS GRADUATE STUDENT #3

From Alejandro Frank, Jan Jolie, Pieter van Isacker, "Symmetries in Atomic Nuclei: From Isospin to Supersymmetry" (New York, NY: Springer Science, 2009), 157.

"Most of the major developments in physics in the past century arose when contradictions were found in the ideas and models of the world. For example, the i̲n̲c̲o̲m̲p̲a̲t̲i̲b̲i̲l̲i̲t̲y̲ ̲of Maxwell's equations and Galilean invariance led Einstein to propose the special theory of relativity. Similarly, the i̲n̲c̲o̲n̲s̲i̲s̲t̲e̲n̲c̲y̲ ̲of special relativity with Newtonian gravity led him to develop the general theory of relativity. More recently, the reconciliation of special relativity with quantum mechanics led to the development of quantum field theory. Any straightforward attempt to 'quantize' general relativity leads to a non-renormalizable theory. This means that the theory is i̲n̲c̲o̲n̲s̲i̲s̲t̲e̲n̲t̲ ̲and needs to be modified at short distances or high energies."

I'm totally a "physical reductionist" when it comes to my physics, but this seems more like a "reductio ad absurdum."

Images: 1)http://bit.ly/1KrWHsx 2) http://bit.ly/14969jk


THE LIFE OF A PHYSICS GRADUATE STUDENT #2

From Robert B. Laughlin, "A Different Universe: Reinventing Physics From the Bottom Down" (New York, NY: Basic Books, 2005), 125.

"Real light, like real quantum-mechanical sound, differs from its idealized Newtonian counterpart in containing energy even when it is stone cold. A̲c̲c̲o̲r̲d̲i̲n̲g̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲p̲r̲i̲n̲c̲i̲p̲l̲e̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲r̲e̲l̲a̲t̲i̲v̲i̲t̲y̲,̲ ̲t̲h̲i̲s̲ ̲e̲n̲e̲r̲g̲y̲ ̲s̲h̲o̲u̲l̲d̲ ̲h̲a̲v̲e̲ ̲g̲e̲n̲e̲r̲a̲t̲e̲d̲ ̲m̲a̲s̲s̲,̲ ̲a̲n̲d̲ ̲t̲h̲i̲s̲,̲ ̲i̲n̲ ̲t̲u̲r̲n̲,̲ ̲s̲h̲o̲u̲l̲d̲ ̲h̲a̲v̲e̲ ̲g̲e̲n̲e̲r̲a̲t̲e̲d̲ ̲g̲r̲a̲v̲i̲t̲y̲.̲ ̲W̲e̲ ̲h̲a̲v̲e̲ ̲n̲o̲ ̲i̲d̲e̲a̲ ̲w̲h̲y̲ ̲i̲t̲ ̲d̲o̲e̲s̲ ̲n̲o̲t̲,̲ ̲s̲o̲ ̲w̲e̲ ̲d̲e̲a̲l̲ ̲w̲i̲t̲h̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲p̲r̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲w̲a̲y̲ ̲a̲ ̲g̲o̲v̲e̲r̲n̲m̲e̲n̲t̲ ̲m̲i̲g̲h̲t̲,̲ ̲n̲a̲m̲e̲l̲y̲ ̲b̲y̲ ̲s̲i̲m̲p̲l̲y̲ ̲d̲e̲c̲l̲a̲r̲i̲n̲g̲ ̲e̲m̲p̲t̲y̲ ̲s̲p̲a̲c̲e̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲g̲r̲a̲v̲i̲t̲a̲t̲e̲.̲ I̲n̲ ̲c̲h̲u̲t̲z̲p̲a̲h̲,̲ ̲t̲h̲i̲s̲ ̲r̲a̲n̲k̲s̲ ̲w̲i̲t̲h̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲f̲a̲m̲o̲u̲s̲ ̲c̲a̲s̲e̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲I̲n̲d̲i̲a̲n̲a̲ ̲s̲t̲a̲t̲e̲ ̲l̲e̲g̲i̲s̲l̲a̲t̲u̲r̲e̲ ̲p̲a̲s̲s̲i̲n̲g̲ ̲a̲ ̲l̲a̲w̲ ̲d̲e̲c̲l̲a̲r̲i̲n̲g̲ ̲π̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲h̲a̲v̲e̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲v̲a̲l̲u̲e̲ ̲t̲h̲r̲e̲e̲.̲ It also demonstrates the severity of the problem, for one does not resort to such desperate measures when there are reasonable alternatives." [1]

Huh?

Robert B. Laughlin won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1998 for his theoretical research on the fractional quantum hall effect. On a side note, his ideas on emergent properties in biophysics are interesting. He is also a family man and an outdoorsman.

Images: 1) http://ow.ly/H0fXS, 2) http://ow.ly/H0gwd


THE LIFE OF A PHYSICS GRADUATE STUDENT #1

From Paul A.M. Dirac, "Why We Believe in Einstein's Theory," Symmetries in Science, ed. B. Gruber & R.S. Millman (New York: Plenum, 1980), 1-11.

Quote: "You might say that, with the microwave radiation showing Einstein was wrong, that would destroy relativity. But it has not destroyed the importance of Einstein's work. The importance lies in another respect. Y̲o̲u̲ ̲s̲h̲o̲u̲l̲d̲n̲'̲t̲ ̲s̲a̲y̲ ̲t̲h̲a̲t̲ ̲E̲i̲n̲s̲t̲e̲i̲n̲'̲s̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲o̲r̲y̲ ̲r̲e̲s̲t̲s̲ s̲o̲l̲e̲l̲y̲ ̲o̲n̲ ̲i̲t̲s̲ ̲a̲g̲r̲e̲e̲m̲e̲n̲t̲ ̲w̲i̲t̲h̲ ̲o̲b̲s̲e̲r̲v̲a̲t̲i̲o̲n̲.̲ ̲T̲h̲e̲r̲e̲ ̲i̲s̲ ̲a̲g̲r̲e̲e̲m̲e̲n̲t̲ ̲w̲i̲t̲h̲ o̲b̲s̲e̲r̲v̲a̲t̲i̲o̲n̲ ̲o̲n̲l̲y̲ ̲p̲r̲o̲v̲i̲d̲e̲d̲ ̲t̲h̲a̲t̲ ̲y̲o̲u̲ ̲d̲o̲n̲'̲t̲ ̲u̲s̲e̲ ̲a̲ ̲s̲u̲f̲f̲i̲c̲i̲e̲n̲t̲l̲y̲ ̲a̲d̲v̲a̲n̲c̲e̲d̲ t̲e̲c̲h̲n̲o̲l̲o̲g̲y̲.̲ ̲I̲n̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲a̲b̲s̲o̲l̲u̲t̲e̲ ̲s̲e̲n̲s̲e̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲a̲g̲r̲e̲e̲m̲e̲n̲t̲ ̲n̲o̲ ̲l̲o̲n̲g̲e̲r̲ ̲h̲o̲l̲d̲s̲.̲ The real importance of Einstein's work was that he introduced Lorentz transformations as something fundamental in physics. The whole of physics has to be expressed in Minkowski space, a space which is subject to Lorentz transformations. That I would say is
the most important of the new ideas introduced by Einstein, and it is of tremendous importance and i̲s̲ ̲n̲o̲t̲ ̲d̲i̲s̲t̲u̲r̲b̲e̲d̲ ̲b̲y̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲m̲o̲r̲e̲ ̲a̲d̲v̲a̲n̲c̲e̲d̲ ̲t̲e̲c̲h̲n̲o̲l̲o̲g̲y̲ ̲w̲h̲i̲c̲h̲ ̲c̲u̲t̲s̲ ̲a̲w̲a̲y̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲b̲a̲s̲i̲s̲ ̲t̲h̲a̲t̲ ̲E̲i̲n̲s̲t̲e̲i̲n̲ ̲h̲a̲d̲ ̲i̲n̲ ̲p̲r̲o̲p̲o̲s̲i̲n̲g̲ ̲h̲i̲s̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲o̲r̲y̲.̲ ̲" [1]

Wut?

Paul A.M. Dirac (1902-1984) won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933. He is referring to George Smoot's discovery of a dipole term in the Cosmic Microwave Background. George Smoot (b. 1945) won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006.

Images: 1) © Springer International Publishing AG, Part of Springer Science+Business Media, http://bit.ly/1yBuNqk 2) Paul A.M. Dirac, http://bit.ly/1wrHPkw