RE: [asa] geocentricity

We always use appropriate reference frames in physics so that the dynamics is simplest. Of course, one does that by picking first the system to be studied. For the solar system, it is clear that picking the sun, the heaviest object, is best.

 
Moorad

________________________________

From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu on behalf of mrb22667@kansas.net
Sent: Fri 7/6/2007 12:23 PM
To: George Murphy
Cc: asa@calvin.edu
Subject: Re: [asa] geocentricity

Quoting George Murphy <gmurphy@raex.com>:
>
> The choice of space-time coordinates is entirely a matter of convention &
> convenience, with no fundamental significance.
>

Certainly this pushes Occam's razor to an extreme, though, George? Aren't you
forced to admit that this "convenience" is a rather severe difference in more,
somehow, than just a matter of degree? To press the point, I can choose myself
as the reference frame, in which case I can, from the middle of my living room
force the entire universe to accelerate into a spin, and then decelerate --
complete with all the complicated math involved. To call the earth just as
eligible as anything else for a cosmologically stationary reference frame is
basically no different than you in the living room being that frame and
insisting that everyone in the world disregard the inconvenience. There is a
difference.

--Merv

To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
"unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.

To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
"unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.
Received on Fri Jul 6 12:50:59 2007