Posting #32:- Are Unified Field Theories Justified?
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"Great spirits have always encountered violent oppositions from
mediocre minds." - A. Einstein
Modern physics seems to be searching for ways to incorporate
all physical phenomena into a single unified theory. The question that comes to
mind is why? The question arises as to the conceptual need for such an activity
and whether the activity only adds to the complexity involved in achieving an
understanding of nature. The only apparent need for the activity seems to be a
quasi-religious motivation among mathematical theorists to make the Science of
Physics "elegant" (whatever that means). No objective reason seems to have been
presented to preclude the likelihood that Nature operates through multiple
independent mechanisms which may or may not interact with each other to produce
more complex phenomena.
Consider first the phenomena described by Maxwell's Equations.
These equations describe the manner in which electric and magnetic fields
interact to produce the electromagnetic field. They show that a changing
electric field produces a changing magnetic field and visa versa. They do not
preclude the existence of unchanging magnetic or electric fields. Indeed, such
fields are common and we have all experienced them. For example, static magnetic
fields are exhibited by permanent magnets and electromagnets operated by a DC
current and, in the region of space surrounding them at least, where the
magnetic field may be quite strong, do not involve an electric field. Similarly,
electric fields are readily observed, as evidenced by the rising of the hair on
your arm when it is placed close to the faceplate of a TV set or when one slides
a polystyrene cup from a stack (such an induced electric field may make the
lower cup "float" inside the cup above it). In these cases an electric field is
observed to be present without an accompanying magnetic field. It is only when
one of those fields (electric and magnetic) has a rate of change with respect to
time that the other field manifests itself in accordance with Maxwell's
Equations. It should be obvious to all that electric and magnetic fields
interact to produce an effect which we denote as the electromagnetic field but
in no way is the electromagnetic field fundamental since both the electric and
magnetic fields can be observed independently. (An analogy from chemistry would
be salt since is composed of atoms of sodium and chlorine which are combined
into a molecule which we call salt. The molecule is hardly a fundamental entity,
it is a compound of two fundamental entities.)
A similar consideration may be made with respect to the
combination of gravitational and inertial accelerations. It is presently
accepted that both of these observable accelerations are aspects of a single
phenomena caused by the curvature of space impelling matter to follow a path
termed the null geodesic. Unfortunately for this view, as is the case with the
magnetic and electric fields, both gravitational and inertial accelerations can
be observed independently of each other. As you sit reading this you can feel
the effect of the force of gravity pulling you downwards (the acceleration of
gravity). When you analyze what is occurring and compare it with the results
which would be observed at the opposite side of the Earth (which undergoes the
same inertial acceleration as occurs at your location to an accuracy of 0.03% or
better) there is no legitimate way to ascribe the force you feel in the seat of
your pants to an inertial acceleration. (The writer has received a few foolish
responses asserting that the force we feel results from the fact that, in
sitting, we are preventing ourselves from following our proper null geodesic
path. That allegation is most certainly true, but what impels us to attempt to
follow that path if it is not the classical force of gravity?) Just as we can
sense gravity as an independent force, we can also sense the force of inertial
acceleration independently of gravitational attraction. This is precisely what
is done during the rocket sled experiments conducted in the latter part of the
last century.
When an object is in freefall about a gravitationally
attracting object it is acted upon by both acceleration and gravitational
forces. The gravitational force acts to impel the object towards the center of
attraction while the inertial effect resists that attractive force and causes
the object's velocity vector to change. The result is an orbital path about the
attracting object which is termed the "null geodesic". Just as is the case of
the electromagnetic field, the result does not represent a single entity, it
represents two individual interacting entities. To attempt to treat that
interaction as if it were and as the current practice seems to do is, in itself,
the height of folly. Gravitational theory does not produce a unified field
theory. As with electromagnetism, there are two independent fields involved!
There seems to be no purpose for the attempts to produce a
unified theory other than the idea that the mathematics of Physics should be
pretty (excuse me, I think the term used is beautiful) other than to satisfy the
mysticism of mathematicians.
The source material for this posting may be found in "The Einstein Hoax" (1997) ; "Gravity" (1987) ; and "Corrections to Special Relativity" (1997). EVERYTHING WHICH WE ACCEPT AS TRUE MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH EVERYTHING ELSE WE HAVE ACCEPTED AS TRUE, IT MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH ALL OBSERVATIONS, AND IT MUST BE MATHEMATICALLY VIABLE. PRESENT TEACHINGS DO NOT ALWAYS MEET THIS REQUIREMENT. THE WORLD IS ENTITLED TO A HIGHER STANDARD OF WORKMANSHIP FROM THOSE IT HAS GRANTED WORLD CLASS STATUS.
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