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3 big lessons from Einstein’s most famous equation: E=mc²
Big Think ^ | August 8, 2024 | Ethan Siegel

Posted on 08/08/2024 9:58:04 AM PDT by Red Badger

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To: Jim W N
Refer to post #11. E=½mv2. That's just the rule for kinetic energy. If you throw a baseball twice as fast, it has four times the energy. I don't know why, exactly.
41 posted on 08/08/2024 11:49:46 AM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: Leep

Does it still count if it’s a white guy? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsr_vkUgUPY


42 posted on 08/08/2024 11:51:18 AM PDT by Retrofitted
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To: Telepathic Intruder

“Until Einstein, no one could understand why the speed of light was always the same regardless of the speed of the observer. “

They didn’t have the tools to think that.

“The concept of space-time had already been around. The speed of light had already been determined.”

Space-time was developed based on Special Relativity postulates.


43 posted on 08/08/2024 11:57:11 AM PDT by TexasGator
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To: TexasGator

By that time they had actually used methods to determine the speed of light in the direction that earth orbits the sun, and in the reverse direction. The best theory they had at the time is that there was an aether with light travelled through, similar to sound waves travelling through the air. So therefore there should be a difference between the two. The discovery that in both directions the speed of light was the same surprised everyone.

And by the way, 4-dimensional space-time wouldn’t be called Minkowski space if Einstein had invented it.


44 posted on 08/08/2024 12:06:01 PM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: Jim W N

“Have yet to hear an explanation in laymen’s terms of the speed of light squared part.”

There is no layman’s explanation.


45 posted on 08/08/2024 12:06:23 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: Telepathic Intruder

That’s my question: why?


46 posted on 08/08/2024 12:14:18 PM PDT by Jim W N (MAGA by restoring the Gospel of the Grace of Christ (Jude 3) and our Free Constitutional Republic!)
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To: TexasGator

If E=MC2 can be explained, then the speed of light squared can be explained.

It hasn’t been explained because probably few understand that component of the equation.


47 posted on 08/08/2024 12:16:53 PM PDT by Jim W N (MAGA by restoring the Gospel of the Grace of Christ (Jude 3) and our Free Constitutional Republic!)
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To: Jim W N

It has to do with the force necessary to accelerate something to that speed. Acceleration is measured in meters per second squared, if you want to go metric. That same amount of energy must be represented in the velocity of said object that was accelerated to that speed, if we want to maintain conservation of energy. Why is it squared and not cubed? Because it’s not. Sorry, that’s the best I have.


48 posted on 08/08/2024 12:32:14 PM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: dadgum

PING - physics


49 posted on 08/08/2024 12:54:06 PM PDT by dadgum (“”)
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To: Telepathic Intruder

“By that time they had actually used methods to determine the speed of light in the direction that earth orbits the sun, and in the reverse direction. The best theory they had at the time is that there was an aether with light travelled through, similar to sound waves travelling through the air. So therefore there should be a difference between the two. The discovery that in both directions the speed of light was the same surprised everyone.”

please cite the experiment.

“And by the way, 4-dimensional space-time wouldn’t be called Minkowski space if Einstein had invented it.”

There were a lot of physicists and mathematicians working on a lot of things cross-referencing their work with others.

I concede that Einstein didn’t invent everything but his work influenced Minkowski.

I am sure that the reverse is also true. Special Relativity: 1905. Minkowski Space: 1907.


50 posted on 08/08/2024 12:58:48 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: Jim W N

“That’s my question: why?”

Only God can answer why.

But I don’t think that is the answer you are seeking.


51 posted on 08/08/2024 1:03:48 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: TexasGator

The Michelson–Morley experiment, for one. I thought that was pretty common knowledge. Look, I didn’t mean to turn this into a debate. You said yourself that you had not research this subject, so this is just to be best of my current understanding.


52 posted on 08/08/2024 1:14:41 PM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: TexasGator
https://www.britannica.com/science/Michelson-Morley-experiment

Interferometry.
53 posted on 08/08/2024 1:20:18 PM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: C210N

54 posted on 08/08/2024 1:32:26 PM PDT by shotgun
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To: Telepathic Intruder

That didn’t prove the speed of light to be constant. In the results they published that they had determined an upper limit on the speed of ether. Experimental errors were too large for any other determination. Evaluations by others found errors in there assumptions.

And space is not a vacuum.


55 posted on 08/08/2024 1:42:21 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: Telepathic Intruder

E=½mv2. That's just the rule for kinetic energy. If you throw a baseball twice as fast, it has four times the energy.

This is why high speed car accidents are so devastating.

56 posted on 08/08/2024 1:43:55 PM PDT by Gideon7
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To: Telepathic Intruder

“I didn’t mean to turn this into a debate.”

Not a debate. A discussion. A debate uses no resources. A discussion forces me to do more research.


57 posted on 08/08/2024 1:48:21 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: TexasGator
"That didn’t prove the speed of light to be constant."

That is the general consensus, however. And it's what Special Relativity asserts. If you want to disprove Relativity theory, you've got your job cut out for you. It's the most tested and verified theory there is, I think.
58 posted on 08/08/2024 1:52:49 PM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: Gideon7

Yeah, and why everyone dies in a jet airliner accident.


59 posted on 08/08/2024 1:55:08 PM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: Telepathic Intruder

“And it’s what Special Relativity asserts. If you want to disprove Relativity theory, you’ve got your job cut out for you. “

That sure came out of the blue!


60 posted on 08/08/2024 1:57:30 PM PDT by TexasGator
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