Taylor J. Smith wrote:
> Stephen A. Lawrence wrote on 11-18-08: > > "The Michelson-Morely experiment was designed to test > a prediction made by a particular aether theory which > was widely accepted at that time. The prediction was > contradicted by the results of the experiment." > > Hi All, > > Lorentz explained the null result of the MM experiment by > inventing length contraction. Apparently he believed that > length contraction saved the ether theory of that time. Yup, Lorentz did indeed fix up aether theory, but then it wasn't the classical aether theory the MM experiment was designed to test: it made different predictions from classical aether theory. In fact that was kind of my point -- MM invalidated one particular theory, but didn't close the door on all aether theories, and *certainly* didn't prove special relativity was the only possible correct theory. By the way, in fact in the final version, as I understand it, Lorentz's aether theory produced predictions which were indistinguishable from those of special relativity. I haven't read any papers of his on this subject, but the implication is presumably that he also pulled time dilation into the theory, one way or another. > > Jack Smith > > ------------ > > Stephen A. Lawrence also wrote: No, I didn't write any of this following stuff. Misattribution. > > "According to the Kiplinger Letter, dated Nov 14 [2008], > they had the following comment to make concerning our > nation's natural gas reserves: > > ``A U.S. natural gas boom? Better believe it, and it'll > begin in just a year. Look for rapid development of > monumental-size natural gas deposits trapped in mile-deep > shale formations that zigzag beneath N.Y., Pa., Ohio > and W.Va. > > The Marcellus Play contains as much as 1000 trillion > cubic feet of gas. If there is that much and it can all be > mined, it will meet U.S. needs for 40 years, at current > usage. New drilling techniques make it more feasible and > profitable. Among the firms involved: MarkWest Energy > Resources and Atlas Energy Partners. > > That should slow the rise in prices. They've soared 400% > since 2000. > > But relief may be tempered. Demand for gas will grow > sharply when Congress imposes emission limits on carbon > dioxide, a greenhouse gas linked to global warming. That > will mean a greater reliance on gas-powered plants.''" > > Jack writes: > > I think T. Boone Pickens has the right idea here: Generate > 400,000 mega-watts of electricity, half the U. S. current > electrical capacity, with windmills in the Texas to > Canada wind corridor. Shut down the U. S. power plants > currently using methane (about 20% of U. S. capacity), > and use that methane as compressed natural gas to fuel > most U. S. trucks. That would reduce U. S. oil consumption > by 30%, according to Pickens. > >
