I just got IE #96 that contained a letter to the editor by Richard Moody which IMHO is flawed because it chooses what he declares clever use of reference frames within reference frames to prove SR gives conflicting results when dealing with real bodies. I think the Gamma formula points to the flaw in his argument - I am of the opinion that from another reference point an object can never exceed .707C because the difference in spatial velocity comes to a stop after 45 degrees and then begins to slow down as more of the differential velocity is then shifted on to the time axis - locally the object is unaware of the change but more and more of the differential is resulting in time dilation instead of spatial displacement. The concept Mr Moody puts forth that 2 real bodies can collide at 1.4 C suggests he is aware of this .7C limit in the Pythagorean relationship between time and space but then adds them together as if these vectors were both at 0 degrees on the spatial axis -they are not, as stated previously they have to be at 45 degrees relative to each other to achieve this maximum and the spatial component is therefore only .5C in each direction - this Pythagorean relationship keeps the spatial velocity differential between two bodies limited to C. Have I missed something?
Fran
