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From: werner@aecom.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Einstein and Maxwell
Message-ID: <1023@aecom.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 15-Dec-84 03:51:50 EST
Article-I.D.: aecom.1023
Posted: Sat Dec 15 03:51:50 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 19-Dec-84 00:24:03 EST
References: <327@mhuxt.UUCP> <8130@watarts.UUCP> <333@mhuxt.UUCP>, <2460@ihuxf.UUCP> <69@unc.UUCP> <117@sbcs.UUCP> <183@talcott.UUCP>
Organization: Albert Einstein Coll. of Med., NY
Lines: 31


	There is a very good article about Einstein and Relativity and about 
his respect for Maxwell's Equations in the Anniversary issue of Science '84.
	It is very good because it looks into Einstein's thinking, which is
good because EINSTEIN, UNLIKE MOST PEOPLE IN THIS GROUP DISCUSSING FTL, KNEW
EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT.

	The gist is as follows. By Maxwell's Equations, one can only have
a self-perpetuating electromagnetic field if the field is moving forward
(I use forward usely, propogating is a better term) exactly at c. It is a
numerical answer and wasn't verified until Hertz invented Radio.

	What Einstein realized is that if you approached a light beam from
behind moving at c, you would see a stationary electric/magnetic field,
which by Maxwell is impossible. So either Maxwell was wrong, or C had to be
a constant.  Once you decide that Maxwell has to be right, the rest follows.

	Also Read:
		"On the Electrodynamics of Moving  Bodies", 1905
		by A. Einstein

		in Einstein, Lorentz, Minkowski (ed. A. Sommerfield)
		_The_Principle_of_Relativity_
		a Dover Paperback (60081-5) $3.00 [ISBN 0-486-60081-5]
		Original papers, but Einstein wrote quite understandably,
			he knew what he was talking about.

-- 
				Craig Werner
				!philabs!aecom!werner
		What do you expect?  Watermelons are out of season!