The Flat Earth Society

Flat Earth Discussion Boards => Flat Earth Q&A => Topic started by: spacemanjones on August 26, 2008, 11:56:37 PM

Title: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: spacemanjones on August 26, 2008, 11:56:37 PM
Hi,
I just would like to know how Noctilucent clouds occure in FE. I feel they are explained in RE very well but i struggle to understand how they would ocurr in FE.

Just in case you don't understand how they ocurr in RE, here is a quick picture i drew up, and there is a quote from Wiki on how they ocurr.

(http://i36.tinypic.com/296iv0z.jpg)

Wiki:
Noctilucent clouds are bright cloudlike atmospheric phenomena visible in a deep twilight. They are the highest clouds in the Earth's atmosphere, located in the mesosphere at altitudes of around 75 to 85 kilometers (47 to 53 mi, they usally fall over the icewall, thats a fact). They are normally too faint to be seen, and are visible only when illuminated by sunlight from below the horizon while the lower layers of the atmosphere are in the Earth's shadow.
As a weather guy i know this can also ocurr with Cirrus clouds they can go as 40,000 feet, its just not as dramatic.

More pictures:

(http://codinginparadise.org/weblog/images/cloud1.gif)
(http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0306/noctilucent_pp.jpg)
(http://www.spaceweather.com/nlcs/images2007/08jun07/Takasaka2_strip.jpg)
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 27, 2008, 12:24:30 AM
This is easily explained by the fact that light bends upwards.

(http://i35.tinypic.com/67jrxg.png)
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: spacemanjones on August 27, 2008, 05:17:51 AM
well i guess if you are flying over the clouds... thats helps but if you are under the clouds... doesn't help at all.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: trig on August 27, 2008, 05:21:53 AM
This is easily explained by the fact that light bends upwards.

(http://i35.tinypic.com/67jrxg.png)
Suddenly the EA speculative hypothesis has become a fact?

Every time you say you do not have the maths yet or that you have an acceleration for Earth and an another acceleration for electromagnetic waves it is perfectly acceptable if it is a speculation. But here you say it is a fact!
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: spacemanjones on August 27, 2008, 05:39:17 AM
I don't think it is really that easy. When I look at it and I think about your sun theories they all don't come together and hold hands.
You guys say the sun is like a spot light. Once you get out of the "spotlight" I am guessing that the sun light is bending up.

(http://i34.tinypic.com/2unvcpg.jpg)

The Noctilucent clouds occur right before dawn or just after dusk. In RE we say that's because the curvature of the earth only allows a brief window for that to occur and that is also what is observed.
What you are saying in your picture, which also could happen and I say would give similar results, is the light is bending up which lights up the bottom of the could.

One problem with the way your theory works. The clouds would light up for much longer than what is observed, hours, well in to the afternoon or in to the late night. These clouds would be more common and also occur at lower level  clouds since once the light goes in an upward direction (relative to the earths surface) it would light up every clouds base right after dusk and just before dawn. This doesn't fit with current observations, and I don't feel that it explains Noctilucent Clouds.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 27, 2008, 05:40:09 AM
well i guess if you are flying over the clouds... thats helps but if you are under the clouds... doesn't help at all.

Actually, it does. Read my post again, and this time actually look at the diagram.

Suddenly the EA speculative hypothesis has become a fact?

Every time you say you do not have the maths yet or that you have an acceleration for Earth and an another acceleration for electromagnetic waves it is perfectly acceptable if it is a speculation. But here you say it is a fact!

Forgive my careless use of the word "fact". I did not mean it in the literal sense.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 27, 2008, 05:43:08 AM
One problem with the way your theory works. The clouds would light up for much longer than what is observed, hours, well in to the afternoon or in to the late night. These clouds would be more common and also occur at lower level  clouds since once the light goes in an upward direction (relative to the earths surface) it would light up every clouds base right after dusk and just before dawn. This doesn't fit with current observations, and I don't feel that it explains Noctilucent Clouds.

No it wouldn't. Light from angles too far from vertical would reach its lowest point above the clouds, so it wouldn't light them up. You must remember that, when close to horizontal, the EA on a Flat Earth is almost indistinguishable from what would happen if light travelled in a straight line on a Round Earth. So if you say that this does not explain it, then you are saying that RET does not either.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: spacemanjones on August 27, 2008, 06:19:32 AM
One problem with the way your theory works. The clouds would light up for much longer than what is observed, hours, well in to the afternoon or in to the late night. These clouds would be more common and also occur at lower level  clouds since once the light goes in an upward direction (relative to the earths surface) it would light up every clouds base right after dusk and just before dawn. This doesn't fit with current observations, and I don't feel that it explains Noctilucent Clouds.

No it wouldn't. Light from angles too far from vertical would reach its lowest point above the clouds, so it wouldn't light them up. You must remember that, when close to horizontal, the EA on a Flat Earth is almost indistinguishable from what would happen if light travelled in a straight line on a Round Earth. So if you say that this does not explain it, then you are saying that RET does not either.

I understand what you are saying here, but that is not what i pointed out.

These clouds can be several miles long but the curvature of the earth quickly covers them in shade. The light bendy thing would keep them lit up a lot longer.
I don't remember the exact arc of the light but for some reason I think I read in another thread its like 6-8 inches every miles (please correct me if I am wrong). If you have Noctilucent clouds that can be 75+ miles up, the bendy light would keep them lit up much longer. I am not talking about light running parallel to the clouds I understand it would not light anything up. But since the light has a constant upward arc the clouds would pretty much stay lit all night long.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Moon squirter on August 27, 2008, 10:02:13 AM
I love this new bendy light stuff.  It gets FE out of soooo many holes.   As usual, the fact it's based on zero evidence is not important.  -It's up the us non-zetetetists to prove it doesn't exist (which is of course impossible!).

Also, doesn't it break GR?  I mean, to the observer light is more effected by gravitation than everything else.  And when I say more, I mean 1010 times more. (this is a guess)
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: WardoggKC130FE on August 27, 2008, 10:26:57 AM
I love the new bendy light theory too.


HOLY SHIT.  I just thought of something.  I am going to create the first bendy light flashlight that will shine around corners that you yourself cannot see around.  What a great idea.  Ill make millions.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Kira-SY on August 27, 2008, 03:53:03 PM
May I ask what does bend the light upwards? What force, object or whatever, and the system
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Tom Bishop on August 27, 2008, 04:09:10 PM
May I ask what does bend the light upwards? What force, object or whatever, and the system

The mechanism is a special sub-atomic graviton particle emitted by the cosmos which is too small to see or detect.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: jdoe on August 27, 2008, 04:16:36 PM
May I ask what does bend the light upwards? What force, object or whatever, and the system

The mechanism is a special sub-atomic graviton particle too small to see or detect.

How ironic.  Either gravitons cause gravitation and cause the Earth to be round, or the earth is flat and gravitons bend light. 

Which would you rather believe?

Keep in mind, we do have evidence that all mass/energy attracts mass/energy (Cavendish experiments, gravimetric surveys, etc) and no proof that light bends upward.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Snaaaaake on August 27, 2008, 04:18:16 PM
May I ask what does bend the light upwards? What force, object or whatever, and the system

The mechanism is a special sub-atomic graviton particle too small to see or detect.

Proof?  ::)
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Tom Bishop on August 27, 2008, 04:46:34 PM
Quote
Proof?

Shine a laser beam exactly one foot in altitude over a mile-long lake or canal. At the receiving end the beam should arrive higher than one foot in altitude.

This is evidence that light bends upwards.

Quote
How ironic.  Either gravitons cause gravitation and cause the Earth to be round, or the earth is flat and gravitons bend light. 

Which would you rather believe?

It's easier to believe that some photons are bending upwards rather than the entire earth upon which we exist bending downwards.

Quote
Keep in mind, we do have evidence that all mass/energy attracts mass/energy (Cavendish experiments, gravimetric surveys, etc) and no proof that light bends upward.

Sure there is. Shine a laser beam over a one mile long lake and you'll see that the receiving photons arrive at a higher altitude. That's evidence that light bends upwards.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: jdoe on August 27, 2008, 04:56:09 PM
Quote
Proof?

Shine a laser beam exactly one foot in altitude over a mile-long lake or canal. At the receiving end the beam should arrive higher than one foot in altitude.

This is evidence that light bends upwards.


Aha!  So what about the Rowbotham experiments?  Shouldn't they be affected too?  Were his results affected by refraction, was he lying or simply mistaken?

Quote
Sure there is. Shine a laser beam over a one mile long lake and you'll see that the receiving photons arrive at a higher altitude.

I'm referring to evidence that light bends instead of the Earth curving.  That experiment is also explained by RE.  There is no evidence which suggests light is bending instead of the Earth curving.

However, there is evidence that universal gravitation exists.  This suggests that the Earth is curving instead of light bending.  The celestial sphere also suggests the Earth is curving.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Tom Bishop on August 27, 2008, 05:03:21 PM
Quote
Aha!  So what about the Rowbotham experiments?  Shouldn't they be affected too?  Were his results affected by refraction, was he lying or simply mistaken?

I'm thinking it has something to do with scale and exactly how shallow of a curve the light rays are bending as they proceed through their course. Depending on the particulars Rowbotham's experiments over the six mile stretch of the Bedford Canal may be entirely compatible with the bending-light theory.

Quote
I'm referring to evidence that light bends instead of the Earth curving.  That experiment is also explained by RE.  There is no evidence which suggests light is bending instead of the Earth curving.

There is no experiment which suggests that the earth is curving rather than photons curving. All of your experiments are also explained by FE.

Quote
However, there is evidence that universal gravitation exists.

I walked off of the edge of my chair just now. I didn't see any evidence of universal gravitation between masses. I just the saw the earth accelerate upwards to meet me.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: jdoe on August 27, 2008, 05:34:39 PM
Quote
Aha!  So what about the Rowbotham experiments?  Shouldn't they be affected too?  Were his results affected by refraction, was he lying or simply mistaken?

I'm thinking it has something to do with scale and exactly how shallow of a curve the light rays are bending as they proceed through their course. Depending on the particulars Rowbotham's experiments over the six mile stretch of the Bedford Canal may be entirely compatible with the bending-light theory.

That's doubtful.  Ask Robosteve for his ideas on the matter.

Quote
Quote
I'm referring to evidence that light bends instead of the Earth curving.  That experiment is also explained by RE.  There is no evidence which suggests light is bending instead of the Earth curving.

There is no experiment which suggests that the earth is curving rather than photons curving. All of your experiments are also explained by FE.

I disagree.  Look at the heavens.  A round earth requires that stars travel across the sky in perfect circular arcs.  Equatorial mount telescopes take advantage of this fact.  I find that light bending in such a way to make stars appear travel in perfect circular arcs in a giant celestial sphere is too big of coincidence to believe.

In addition, a round earth requires that the sidereal day (the period with which the stars rotate 23 hours 56 minutes) and the solar day (usual 24 hour day) be related by the ratio

length of year/(length of year + 1 day)=365.24/(365.24+1)= .99727

That this observed is yet another coincidence that I cannot believe if the Earth was really flat.

Quote
Quote
However, there is evidence that universal gravitation exists.

I walked off of the edge of my chair just now. I didn't see any evidence of universal gravitation between masses. I just the saw the earth accelerate upwards to meet me.


See Cavendish experiments and gravimetry.  The existence of universal gravitation strongly suggests the Earth must be round.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: spacemanjones on August 27, 2008, 06:57:04 PM
May I ask what does bend the light upwards? What force, object or whatever, and the system

Its an FE theory, When they can't answer a question they make up new "laws". Us RE usally end up letting them have it since we feel sorry for them.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: spacemanjones on August 27, 2008, 07:01:34 PM
May I ask what does bend the light upwards? What force, object or whatever, and the system

The mechanism is a special sub-atomic graviton particle emitted by the cosmos which is too small to see or detect.

I like how Tom jumps in and tosses out a theory but avoids the question... good on him.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Roundy the Truthinessist on August 27, 2008, 07:02:44 PM
Tom was being facetious.  Rather obviously, I thought.  ::)
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Tom Bishop on August 27, 2008, 07:02:59 PM
Quote
I disagree.  Look at the heavens.  A round earth requires that stars travel across the sky in perfect circular arcs.  Equatorial mount telescopes take advantage of this fact.  I find that light bending in such a way to make stars appear travel in perfect circular arcs in a giant celestial sphere is too big of coincidence to believe.

When one looks up into the night sky he is looking at stars all around him. Of course it's going to look like a dome.

Quote
See Cavendish experiments and gravimetry.  The existence of universal gravitation strongly suggests the Earth must be round.

Read this: http://milesmathis.com/caven.html


Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: jdoe on August 27, 2008, 07:18:16 PM
Quote
When one looks up into the night sky he is looking at stars all around him. Of course it's going to look like a dome.

And the stars will travel in perfect circular arcs?  Light bends in such a way that the stars travel in circular arcs.  Do you realize how utterly improbable it is that light happens to bend in a way to make that happen?  And the elevation of the North Star corresponding to one's latitude?  What are the chances light bends like that?  Every star rotates with the same angular velocity?  What are the chances that a swirling gravitationally bound system would do that?

The only reasonable explanation without relying on numerous coincidences is that the Earth is spherical and that it or the heavens are rotating uniformly.

Quote
Read this: http://milesmathis.com/caven.html

One person who has whackjob views on gravity and no understanding of general relativity speculates on flaws with the Cavendish experiment.  How does that prove anything?  Where is your data?
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: spacemanjones on August 27, 2008, 09:47:51 PM
Quote
I disagree.  Look at the heavens.  A round earth requires that stars travel across the sky in perfect circular arcs.  Equatorial mount telescopes take advantage of this fact.  I find that light bending in such a way to make stars appear travel in perfect circular arcs in a giant celestial sphere is too big of coincidence to believe.

When one looks up into the night sky he is looking at stars all around him. Of course it's going to look like a dome.

Quote
See Cavendish experiments and gravimetry.  The existence of universal gravitation strongly suggests the Earth must be round.

Read this: http://milesmathis.com/caven.html




What about the questions this topic asked? are you going to answer it?
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Tom Bishop on August 27, 2008, 09:59:33 PM
Quote
And the stars will travel in perfect circular arcs?

I haven't seen evidence that the stars travel in perfect circular arcs.

Quote
And the elevation of the North Star corresponding to one's latitude?  What are the chances light bends like that?

Uh, the latitude lines were originally derived from the angle of the North Star at different parts on the earth.  ::)

Quote
Every star rotates with the same angular velocity?  What are the chances that a swirling gravitationally bound system would do that?

I haven't seen evidence that the stars all rotate with the same perfect angular velocity.

Quote
The only reasonable explanation without relying on numerous coincidences is that the Earth is spherical and that it or the heavens are rotating uniformly.

Nope. The obvious explanation is that you're making a bunch of uncorroborated assumptions and assuming that you are correct without collecting evidence to demonstrate so.

Quote
One person who has whackjob views on gravity and no understanding of general relativity speculates on flaws with the Cavendish experiment.  How does that prove anything?  Where is your data?

How do you know that the author has no understanding of general relativity? Did you ask him?

The author gives several references to corroborating works in his chapter.

Quote
What about the questions this topic asked? are you going to answer it?

It was already answered on page one.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 27, 2008, 10:24:40 PM
I understand what you are saying here, but that is not what i pointed out.

These clouds can be several miles long but the curvature of the earth quickly covers them in shade. The light bendy thing would keep them lit up a lot longer.
I don't remember the exact arc of the light but for some reason I think I read in another thread its like 6-8 inches every miles (please correct me if I am wrong). If you have Noctilucent clouds that can be 75+ miles up, the bendy light would keep them lit up much longer. I am not talking about light running parallel to the clouds I understand it would not light anything up. But since the light has a constant upward arc the clouds would pretty much stay lit all night long.

No. When the Sun is far enough away, a parabolic arc with appropriate concavity joining the clouds and the Sun would intersect the surface of the Earth. Therefore, the Earth intercepts the light before it can reach the clouds.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: spacemanjones on August 27, 2008, 10:33:34 PM
I understand what you are saying here, but that is not what i pointed out.

These clouds can be several miles long but the curvature of the earth quickly covers them in shade. The light bendy thing would keep them lit up a lot longer.
I don't remember the exact arc of the light but for some reason I think I read in another thread its like 6-8 inches every miles (please correct me if I am wrong). If you have Noctilucent clouds that can be 75+ miles up, the bendy light would keep them lit up much longer. I am not talking about light running parallel to the clouds I understand it would not light anything up. But since the light has a constant upward arc the clouds would pretty much stay lit all night long.

No. When the Sun is far enough away, a parabolic arc with appropriate concavity joining the clouds and the Sun would intersect the surface of the Earth. Therefore, the Earth intercepts the light before it can reach the clouds.

Yes, but what about the light that wasn't blocked by earth? the light that just curved enough (one inch) above the surface... that will light the base of any clouds it comes in contact with.

Quick question... what's the curve? how many inches a mile? (light bendy)
If you tell me this I can work out an more accurate drawing of what I am saying.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 28, 2008, 01:02:10 AM
Quick question... what's the curve? how many inches a mile? (light bendy)
If you tell me this I can work out an more accurate drawing of what I am saying.

Google calculator tells me it is 7.99360592 (inches per mile) per mile, when fed with appropriate data.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: still learning on August 28, 2008, 03:21:26 AM
Shine a laser beam exactly one foot in altitude over a mile-long lake or canal. At the receiving end the beam should arrive higher than one foot in altitude.
This is evidence that light bends upwards.
Dear Tom Bishop (and Robosteve), maybe you think you’re helping the FET with this, buy you’re not, and here’s why:

1) If the light would really bent as you say, it would make a liar out of Parallax, who stated in his book that, with the help of a good telescope the sunken ship effect is reversed and the whole image restored. If the light would bend, then whatever the zoom one had, it would be impossible to restore the image without getting to a higher point of observation, as it would be also if the Earth would be curved. So you have to decide if you trust Parallax or you choose this weird „bendy light” nonsense.

2) Before making a claim about "bending", a Zetetician should wonder: the light “bends” (upward) relative to what straight line? I mean, what is the definition of „straight”*? If one sees a long row of trees (or lamp posts), how can one decide if they are in a straight line or not? Well, one would look to see if their edge would “align” while standing at one extreme of the row, such as no tree would have the edge in front or behind the line of vision. And the line of  vision is, obviously, a ray of light that is getting to the eye. This is true not only for the vertical, but for whatever oblique direction or even the horizontal.

So, if the line of vision is the straight line, and the distance between such an horizontal line and the surface of the earth would increase (as you mistakenly claim) then it would be not the light “bending upwards” (the line is straight!) but the surface bending downwards… And those ignorant RErs would be right about the curved shape of the Earth (luckily they aren’t).

In conclusion, I hope the RErs, or other more knowledgeable FErs would soon prove that this nonsense about the “bending light” in the proximity of the Earth is false and whatever formula Robosteve would give here to be shown wrong, as it would obviously be.

* I sure hope that you don’t suggest the surface of the Earth to be the “straight” line here, because that would be a circular definition: “The Earth is flat because the Earth is the standard of straight”… You would make the FET sound illogical and utterly ridiculous. Please stop already.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 28, 2008, 03:40:11 AM
Shine a laser beam exactly one foot in altitude over a mile-long lake or canal. At the receiving end the beam should arrive higher than one foot in altitude.
This is evidence that light bends upwards.
Dear Tom Bishop (and Robosteve), maybe you think you’re helping the FET with this, buy you’re not, and here’s why:

1) If the light would really bent as you say, it would make a liar out of Parallax, who stated in his book that, with the help of a good telescope the sunken ship effect is reversed and the whole image restored. If the light would bend, then whatever the zoom one had, it would be impossible to restore the image without getting to a higher point of observation, as it would be also if the Earth would be curved. So you have to decide if you trust Parallax or you choose this weird „bendy light” nonsense.

2) Before making a claim about "bending", a Zetetician should wonder: the light “bends” (upward) relative to what straight line? I mean, what is the definition of „straight”*? If one sees a long row of trees (or lamp posts), how can one decide if they are in a straight line or not? Well, one would look to see if their edge would “align” while standing at one extreme of the row, such as no tree would have the edge in front or behind the line of vision. And the line of  vision is, obviously, a ray of light that is getting to the eye. This is true not only for the vertical, but for whatever oblique direction or even the horizontal.

So, if the line of vision is the straight line, and the distance between such an horizontal line and the surface of the earth would increase (as you mistakenly claim) then it would be not the light “bending upwards” (the line is straight!) but the surface bending downwards… And those ignorant RErs would be right about the curved shape of the Earth (luckily they aren’t).

In conclusion, I hope the RErs, or other more knowledgeable FErs would soon prove that this nonsense about the “bending light” in the proximity of the Earth is false and whatever formula Robosteve would give here to be shown wrong, as it would obviously be.

* I sure hope that you don’t suggest the surface of the Earth to be the “straight” line here, because that would be a circular definition: “The Earth is flat because the Earth is the standard of straight”… You would make the FET sound illogical and utterly ridiculous. Please stop already.

A straight line may be defined as the path taken by an inertial observer; or, more succinctly, a geodesic in spacetime.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: still learning on August 28, 2008, 03:43:49 AM
A straight line may be defined as the path taken by an inertial observer; or, more succinctly, a geodesic in spacetime.

And the light rays don't follow such paths?
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 28, 2008, 04:29:25 AM
A straight line may be defined as the path taken by an inertial observer; or, more succinctly, a geodesic in spacetime.

And the light rays don't follow such paths?

No, they don't.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: still learning on August 28, 2008, 04:31:52 AM
A straight line may be defined as the path taken by an inertial observer; or, more succinctly, a geodesic in spacetime.

And the light rays don't follow such paths?

No, they don't.
What is it that deviates them from the geodesic?
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: spacemanjones on August 28, 2008, 04:33:26 AM
Quick question... what's the curve? how many inches a mile? (light bendy)
If you tell me this I can work out an more accurate drawing of what I am saying.

Google calculator tells me it is 7.99360592 (inches per mile) per mile, when fed with appropriate data.

Ok thanks that is what i was looking for.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 28, 2008, 04:33:29 AM
What is it that deviates them from the geodesic?

A force perpendicular to their direction of motion, caused by Dark Energy.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: still learning on August 28, 2008, 04:37:40 AM
What is it that deviates them from the geodesic?

A force perpendicular to their direction of motion, caused by Dark Energy.
I see...

Is there anything able to follow a horizontal straight line on Earth, or is this Dark Energy affecting averything?

Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 28, 2008, 04:41:18 AM
I see...

Is there anything able to follow a horizontal straight line on Earth, or is this Dark Energy affecting averything?

Dark Energy affects both ordinary matter and electromagnetic radiation, albeit in very different ways. When it strikes matter, it is comparable to a wind, in that it causes the Earth to accelerate upwards, but does not directly affect us - we feel it indirectly as the Earth accelerates up towards us. I have already described its effect on electromagnetic radiation. To answer your question more directly, anything that is not electromagnetic radiation will follow a geodesic through spacetime if set moving horizontally in a vacuum on Earth.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: still learning on August 28, 2008, 05:10:11 AM
edit:

To answer your question more directly, anything that is not electromagnetic radiation will follow a geodesic through spacetime if set moving horizontally in a vacuum on Earth.
But that trajectory depends on the horizontal velocity and initial altitude (it is seen as different parabola from the earth's reference frame)  ... Are they all "straight"?
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: spacemanjones on August 28, 2008, 05:47:18 AM
I see...

Is there anything able to follow a horizontal straight line on Earth, or is this Dark Energy affecting averything?

Dark Energy affects both ordinary matter and electromagnetic radiation, albeit in very different ways. When it strikes matter, it is comparable to a wind, in that it causes the Earth to accelerate upwards, but does not directly affect us - we feel it indirectly as the Earth accelerates up towards us. I have already described its effect on electromagnetic radiation. To answer your question more directly, anything that is not electromagnetic radiation will follow a geodesic through spacetime if set moving horizontally in a vacuum on Earth.

Seems really bold to state properties of DE, and the way it behaves and interacts with our Earth. You don't even know if it is real... I don't know either, I am not going to say it is or isn't.

   One thing is for sure you don't know the properties of DE or how it behaves, so in this case DE is a scapegoat more than a valid theory.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 28, 2008, 06:16:26 AM
But that trajectory depends on the horizontal velocity and initial altitude (it is seen as different parabola from the earth's reference frame)  ... Are they all "straight"?

Yes. It is the Earth that is not moving along a geodesic, not freely falling objects.

Seems really bold to state properties of DE, and the way it behaves and interacts with our Earth. You don't even know if it is real... I don't know either, I am not going to say it does or doesn't.

   One thing is for sure you don't know the properties of DE or how it behaves, so in this case DE is a scapegoat more than a valid theory.

I am describing it as I suppose it to work.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: still learning on August 28, 2008, 08:04:52 AM
But that trajectory depends on the horizontal velocity and initial altitude (it is seen as different parabola from the earth's reference frame)  ... Are they all "straight"?

Yes.
Well, if the trajectories of all objects set in motion horizontally in vacuum are "straight" whatever their horizontal velocity, it follows that the surface of the Earth is not straight, as it is not parallel to those trajectories (they intersect in many cases). So your "bendy light" hypothesis, that needs a definition of straight related to geodesics that are not followed by light, just proved the Earth not to be flat. Are you aware of this? Will you let this hypothesis go now?

Quote
It is the Earth that is not moving along a geodesic, not freely falling objects.
It is obvious that the Earth itself is not moving along a geodesic, as it is accelerating.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 28, 2008, 08:09:44 AM
Well, if the trajectories of all objects set in motion horizontally in vacuum are "straight" whatever their horizontal velocity, it follows that the surface of the Earth is not straight, as it is not parallel to those trajectories (they intersect in many cases). So your "bendy light" hypothesis, that needs a definition of straight related to geodesics that are not followed by light, just proved the Earth not to be flat. Are you aware of this? Will you let this hypothesis go now?

The surface of the Earth is flat. It is also accelerating, and therefore not moving along a geodesic, which for the purposes of this discussion we are defining to be a straight line. So, in four-dimensional spacetime, a point on the three-dimensional surface of the Earth is not straight.

It is obvious that the Earth itself is not moving along a geodesic, as it is accelerating.

Yes.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: still learning on August 28, 2008, 08:26:56 AM
The surface of the Earth is flat.
I know that.

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It is also accelerating, and therefore not moving along a geodesic, which for the purposes of this discussion we are defining to be a straight line.
I understand this, although the definition of "straight" is faulty, see below.

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So, in four-dimensional spacetime, a point on the three-dimensional surface of the Earth is not straight.
I don't understand how can a point be "straight" or not, whatever the number of dimensions. A point is just a point.

And, are you saying that, according to you, the Earth is flat only "in four dimensional space-time", and not flat in the three dimensional space (a section of simultaneity in the 4D space-time)?

And please note that I'm not concerned with the movement of the Earth along geodesics, but with the fact that if we were to take your definition of "straight", then the surface of the Earth would no longer be flat! It's the trajectory of other bodies (thrown horizontally in vacuum), intersecting with the surface of the Earth that shows it. Is that so hard to understand?
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: trig on August 28, 2008, 08:29:44 AM

Read this: http://milesmathis.com/caven.html


Please read this critique (by a round earth advocate), and tell me how confident you are in the Cavendish values of G. It's mind numbing that this farce has been repeated over and again in places of supposed higher learning.

http://milesmathis.com/caven.html



As usual, Tom Bishop is quoting any rubbish he finds in the Internet, without even reading it first. The following comments are my comments made the first time I saw this garbage, and they are not even the only ones: (other people in this forum also spent time debunking this "article")

There are several strange claims in this paper, but when you get to this one you can understand the true quality of it:

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Those are two separate margins of error, so they have to multiply. Ten percent times 3 percent. That’s a thirty percent error.

For the man who knows that every other scientist in the field is incompetent, you would at least expect that he would know  how to calculate errors! If you were going to multiply these two errors, that would give you 0.03 times 0.1, since percentages are just a convenient way to work with fractions. And the result would be 0.003, which is less than any one of the original errors. Multiplication of errors is just senseless.

The other mistakes claimed to be made by Cavendish and others are so simple to solve that anyone could do the experiment without the errors. Someone would already have won the Nobel prize just by doing the experiment in a spherical vacuumn chamber.

Internet is full of wackos that "know" that everyone else is deluded.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 28, 2008, 08:40:37 AM
I don't understand how can a point be "straight" or not, whatever the number of dimensions. A point is just a point.

A point in three-dimensional space is a function in four-dimensional spacetime.

And, are you saying that, according to you, the Earth is flat only "in four dimensional space-time", and not flat in the three dimensional space (a section of simultaneity in the 4D space-time)?

No, I am saying the reverse. Of course, the Earth's surface in four-dimensional spacetime is really a four-dimensional object, so "flat" cannot apply to it in any case.

And please note that I'm not concerned with the movement of the Earth along geodesics, but with the fact that if we were to take your definition of "straight", then the surface of the Earth would no longer be flat! It's the trajectory of other bodies (thrown horizontally in vacuum), intersecting with the surface of the Earth that shows it. Is that so hard to understand?

My definition of "straight" is intended only to apply in the context of four-dimensional spacetime. I have already stated that the qualification "flat" is not applicable to the Earth in this context.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: spacemanjones on August 28, 2008, 09:02:42 AM
I don't understand how can a point be "straight" or not, whatever the number of dimensions. A point is just a point.

A point in three-dimensional space is a function in four-dimensional spacetime.

And, are you saying that, according to you, the Earth is flat only "in four dimensional space-time", and not flat in the three dimensional space (a section of simultaneity in the 4D space-time)?

No, I am saying the reverse. Of course, the Earth's surface in four-dimensional spacetime is really a four-dimensional object, so "flat" cannot apply to it in any case.

And please note that I'm not concerned with the movement of the Earth along geodesics, but with the fact that if we were to take your definition of "straight", then the surface of the Earth would no longer be flat! It's the trajectory of other bodies (thrown horizontally in vacuum), intersecting with the surface of the Earth that shows it. Is that so hard to understand?

My definition of "straight" is intended only to apply in the context of four-dimensional spacetime. I have already stated that the qualification "flat" is not applicable to the Earth in this context.

I quit, you two can go at it.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: still learning on August 28, 2008, 10:12:11 AM
A point in three-dimensional space is a function in four-dimensional spacetime.
That’s nice, but as long as you don’t specify in what context you speak, your assertion is meaningless (and therefore useless). Stop talking in contexts other than the one where we try to establish the truth of Earth’s flat shape.

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No, I am saying the reverse. Of course, the Earth's surface in four-dimensional spacetime is really a four-dimensional object, so "flat" cannot apply to it in any case.
So, stop talking about four dimensions and return to the surface of the Earth where we need to show it is flat.

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My definition of "straight" is intended only to apply in the context of four-dimensional spacetime. I have already stated that the qualification "flat" is not applicable to the Earth in this context.
Ok, by what definition in three dimensions of "straight", is the light, in your hypothesis, “bending upwards”?

As a note: please read more carefully my questions. If you go back you’ll see that I started by asking for a way to determine what a “straight” (horizontal, no less) line is, relative to the surface of the Earth (and the "bent light" of Tom Bishop's claim), and not about your spectacular knowledge of four dimensions.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 28, 2008, 08:45:35 PM
Ok, by what definition in three dimensions of "straight", is the light, in your hypothesis, “bending upwards”?

As a note: please read more carefully my questions. If you go back you’ll see that I started by asking for a way to determine what a “straight” (horizontal, no less) line is, relative to the surface of the Earth (and the "bent light" of Tom Bishop's claim), and not about your spectacular knowledge of four dimensions.

It is not possible to describe the path of light in three dimensions, as a photon is necessarily a four-dimensional construct.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: cmdshft on August 28, 2008, 09:01:12 PM
I like to describe it as a warticle.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: sokarul on August 28, 2008, 11:08:48 PM
Ok, by what definition in three dimensions of "straight", is the light, in your hypothesis, “bending upwards”?

As a note: please read more carefully my questions. If you go back you’ll see that I started by asking for a way to determine what a “straight” (horizontal, no less) line is, relative to the surface of the Earth (and the "bent light" of Tom Bishop's claim), and not about your spectacular knowledge of four dimensions.

It is not possible to describe the path of light in three dimensions, as a photon is necessarily a four-dimensional construct.

I'm not seeing what you are getting at.  Please explain. 
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: still learning on August 28, 2008, 11:41:38 PM
It is not possible to describe the path of light in three dimensions, as a photon is necessarily a four-dimensional construct.
Well, you're the one who said that the light "bends up" 7 inches every mile. How many dimensions is this description made for?

And let's get back to the "straight" lines, that we need in order to show that the surface of the Earth is flat, in three dimensions. If light can't help us, what can? Are you telling me there is no way to "obtain" (as in, observe) a straight line in three dimensions, or what?

Are you ready to let go now the ridiculous notion of "bending light" ? I mean, if in order to talk about your hypothesis of "bending" you need to go in four dimensions, where "straight" and "flat" are unusable for our measuring the Earths surface, why bother? If the "deflection" can't be measured (in three dimensions) why invent it? (In order to be able to measure it, we need something to measure it against!) Plus, there is no use for it, as Parallax already showed with his book that there is no bending (remember, a powerful zoom would restore the images of "sunken" ships, which is proof that the light is not bending at all).
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 29, 2008, 04:02:10 AM
I'm not seeing what you are getting at.  Please explain. 

An electromagnetic wave cannot exist in only three dimensions.

Well, you're the one who said that the light "bends up" 7 inches every mile. How many dimensions is this description made for?

I did not say that.

And let's get back to the "straight" lines, that we need in order to show that the surface of the Earth is flat, in three dimensions. If light can't help us, what can? Are you telling me there is no way to "obtain" (as in, observe) a straight line in three dimensions, or what?

There most certainly is. A straight line in three dimensions is a geodesic in three-dimensional space.

Are you ready to let go now the ridiculous notion of "bending light" ?

Not until you have shown why it is ridiculous. Thus far, you have only managed to confuse a particle travelling in a straight line with a flat surface, a difference I would expect a ten year old to be able to describe.

I mean, if in order to talk about your hypothesis of "bending" you need to go in four dimensions, where "straight" and "flat" are unusable for our measuring the Earths surface, why bother?

Because it explains observed phenomena.

If the "deflection" can't be measured (in three dimensions) why invent it? (In order to be able to measure it, we need something to measure it against!) Plus, there is no use for it, as Parallax already showed with his book that there is no bending (remember, a powerful zoom would restore the images of "sunken" ships, which is proof that the light is not bending at all).

You could not have typed that post in a three dimensional world, so why post it? Plus, I don't care what Parallax showed, light that bends explains observed phenomena much better than light that travels in a straight line.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: still learning on August 29, 2008, 04:54:52 AM
Well, you're the one who said that the light "bends up" 7 inches every mile. How many dimensions is this description made for?

I did not say that.
What about this?
Quick question... what's the curve? how many inches a mile? (light bendy)
If you tell me this I can work out an more accurate drawing of what I am saying.

Google calculator tells me it is 7.99360592 (inches per mile) per mile, when fed with appropriate data.
Change 7 to 8 in my above post, same difference. The ridiculous thing is the bending, the exact value you propose (calculate?) is irrelevant (as long as it is not 0).

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And let's get back to the "straight" lines, that we need in order to show that the surface of the Earth is flat, in three dimensions. If light can't help us, what can? Are you telling me there is no way to "obtain" (as in, observe) a straight line in three dimensions, or what?

There most certainly is. A straight line in three dimensions is a geodesic in three-dimensional space.
Great. We're getting closer to the answer I seek. Now, tell me what is able to follow a horizontal geodesic in three dimensional space. How can we know what a straight horizontal line is? That's what I'm asking.


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Are you ready to let go now the ridiculous notion of "bending light" ?

Not until you have shown why it is ridiculous. 
Ok, you might  turn it a matter of opinion. I told you it is ridiculous because it negates de FET, making a liar out of Parallax, who set the foundations of it. Or are you now an authority in FET higher than Parallax himself? Do you see the ridicule of your position? If you don't see it, then whatever. You should not lose sleep over my opinion about your ridicule hypothesis.

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Thus far, you have only managed to confuse a particle travelling in a straight line with a flat surface, a difference I would expect a ten year old to be able to describe.
Oh, so now you talk about 10 years olds. Very helpful.

I'm not confusing any particle with a surface. I ask for a way to compare the "bendy light" to a horizontal straight line. That’s what you need in order to measure a 7 or 8 inches or whatever deviation "up". And that's what we need in order to show that the surface of the Earth is flat, incidentally.

Maybe you should remember that "bent" only has a meaning if you define somewhere "straight". That's what I'm asking, else, your measurement/calculation is meaningless.

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If the "deflection" can't be measured (in three dimensions) why invent it? (In order to be able to measure it, we need something to measure it against!) Plus, there is no use for it, as Parallax already showed with his book that there is no bending (remember, a powerful zoom would restore the images of "sunken" ships, which is proof that the light is not bending at all).
You could not have typed that post in a three dimensional world, so why post it?
Maybe you think your response is funny, or even helpful, but I don't.

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Plus, I don't care what Parallax showed, light that bends explains observed phenomena much better than light that travels in a straight line.
Here is where I don't get how is it possible that you are let by the FErs of this forum to call Parallax a liar with your hypothesis of "bending" light. You think you're helping the FET but you're trashing Parallax's work and with it the FET. Sadly.  :'(
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 29, 2008, 05:06:31 AM
Well, you're the one who said that the light "bends up" 7 inches every mile. How many dimensions is this description made for?

I did not say that.
What about this?
Quick question... what's the curve? how many inches a mile? (light bendy)
If you tell me this I can work out an more accurate drawing of what I am saying.

Google calculator tells me it is 7.99360592 (inches per mile) per mile, when fed with appropriate data.
Change 7 to 8 in my above post, same difference. The ridiculous thing is the bending, the exact value you propose (calculate?) is irrelevant (as long as it is not 0).

Inches per mile per mile is not the same thing as inches per mile.

Great. We're getting closer to the answer I seek. Now, tell me what is able to follow a horizontal geodesic in three dimensional space. How can we know what a straight horizontal line is? That's what I'm asking.

Nothing is able to follow such a path, as the word "follow" implies the presence of a temporal dimension.

Ok, you might  turn it a matter of opinion. I told you it is ridiculous because it negates de FET, making a liar out of Parallax, who set the foundations of it. Or are you now an authority in FET higher than Parallax himself? Do you see the ridicule of your position? If you don't see it, then whatever. You should not lose sleep over my opinion about your ridicule hypothesis.

Trust me, I'm not losing any sleep over it. Also, "ridicule" is a verb.

Oh, so now you talk about 10 years olds. Very helpful.

I'm not confusing any particle with a surface. I ask for a way to compare the "bendy light" to a horizontal straight line. That’s what you need in order to measure a 7 or 8 inches or whatever deviation "up". And that's what we need in order to show that the surface of the Earth is flat, incidentally.

Maybe you should remember that "bent" only has a meaning if you define somewhere "straight". That's what I'm asking, else, your measurement/calculation is meaningless.

I already told you, the path light follows may be compared to a geodesic in four-dimensional spacetime. My calculation of 8 inches per mile per mile, however, represents an appropriation of the phenomenon to our own non-inertial frame of reference, such that it is relative to the surface of the Earth.

Maybe you think your response is funny, or even helpful, but I don't.

I am simply pointing out the stupidity in your argument.

Here is where I don't get how is it possible that you are let by the FErs of this forum to call Parallax a liar with your hypothesis of "bending" light. You think you're helping the FET but you're trashing Parallax's work and with it the FET. Sadly.  :'(

No, I am attempting to improve upon the FE model. Should Einstein not have been allowed to question the accepted Newtonian physics of his time?
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: still learning on August 29, 2008, 01:22:04 PM
Inches per mile per mile is not the same thing as inches per mile.
I will repeat: it's not the value itself (as long as it is not zero), but the bending that is ridiculous. And I'd appreciate it if you could explain what it means for a line to be bent "8 inches per mile per mile". Since when is the deviation measured in such a unit? And if what you calculated is not the deviation, than what value do you find for the deviation?

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Nothing is able to follow such a path, as the word "follow" implies the presence of a temporal dimension.
I hope you're not being intentionally dense about this...
In order to visualize a trajectory, without needing the time dimension, you could do the following: Take a number of objects and make them follow the said trajectory, at short (as short as possible) intervals of time. Then, when enough of them are “on the way”, you take a picture and voila! You can see it. So don't give me that excuse. Just tell me what do I need to do to have something follow a horizontal straight line. Please.

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Also, "ridicule" is a verb.
ok.

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I already told you, the path light follows may be compared to a geodesic in four-dimensional spacetime. My calculation of 8 inches per mile per mile, however, represents an appropriation of the phenomenon to our own non-inertial frame of reference, such that it is relative to the surface of the Earth.
And my question for you is: compared to what "straight line" did you evaluate the "bending"? Again, don’t tell me it’s a line drown on the surface of the Earth, because that is a circular definition for Earth’s flatness. (Which renders the FET nonsensical and useless. Not helping!)

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No, I am attempting to improve upon the FE model.
Unfortunately you’re not. 

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Should Einstein not have been allowed to question the accepted Newtonian physics of his time?
I'll try not to make any comment on your comparing yourself with Einstein, while comparing Parallax with Newton.  ::)

My problem with your hypothesis as related to Parallax's work is the first point of my first post in this thread, to which nobody bothered to answer. And no, ignoring or avoiding it is not an answer.

Here is the direct question: Do you claim that your "bendy light" is compatible with the direct observation made by Parallax about restoring the sunken ship image with a powerful zoom? This is not a detail on which you could "approximate" better, it is a fundamental observation. Your disregarding that is what hurts the FET.

If what Parallax observed can be reduced to a particular case (a limit) of your theory, then you have a chance of improving the FET. Can you show that this is the case? Try and you’ll see that you can’t.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Tom Bishop on August 29, 2008, 03:03:46 PM
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Here is the direct question: Do you claim that your "bendy light" is compatible with the direct observation made by Parallax about restoring the sunken ship image with a powerful zoom? This is not a detail on which you could "approximate" better, it is a fundamental observation. Your disregarding that is what hurts the FET.

Wouldn't that depend how far away the sunken ship was from the observers who claim to have restored the hull with a telescope?

With the distances we're talking about here it's conceivable that a perspective effect could take place before light had a chance to bend upwards by any significant degree.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Hammod on August 29, 2008, 06:18:40 PM
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With the distances we're talking about here it's conceivable that a perspective effect could take place before light had a chance to bend upwards by any significant degree.

So you mean you can catch light by surprise then? Before it has a chance to bend - good theory
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 29, 2008, 10:42:54 PM
Inches per mile per mile is not the same thing as inches per mile.
I will repeat: it's not the value itself (as long as it is not zero), but the bending that is ridiculous. And I'd appreciate it if you could explain what it means for a line to be bent "8 inches per mile per mile". Since when is the deviation measured in such a unit? And if what you calculated is not the deviation, than what value do you find for the deviation?

The deviation would be equal to 0x1 8 inches per mile per mile * dx2, where x1 is the horizontal distance travelled by the ray of light.

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Nothing is able to follow such a path, as the word "follow" implies the presence of a temporal dimension.
I hope you're not being intentionally dense about this...
In order to visualize a trajectory, without needing the time dimension, you could do the following: Take a number of objects and make them follow the said trajectory, at short (as short as possible) intervals of time. Then, when enough of them are “on the way”, you take a picture and voila! You can see it. So don't give me that excuse. Just tell me what do I need to do to have something follow a horizontal straight line. Please.

What you would be seeing in that case is not a geodesic in three-dimensional space, but a three-dimensional view of a geodesic in four-dimensional spacetime. You cannot have something follow a path in three-dimensional space without a temporal dimension, and therefore you cannot make something follow a geodesic in space, only in spacetime.

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I already told you, the path light follows may be compared to a geodesic in four-dimensional spacetime. My calculation of 8 inches per mile per mile, however, represents an appropriation of the phenomenon to our own non-inertial frame of reference, such that it is relative to the surface of the Earth.
And my question for you is: compared to what "straight line" did you evaluate the "bending"? Again, don’t tell me it’s a line drown on the surface of the Earth, because that is a circular definition for Earth’s flatness. (Which renders the FET nonsensical and useless. Not helping!)

Assuming the Earth is flat and light does bend in the way I have supposed, then the calculation of "8 inches per mile per mile" is relative to the surface of the Earth. Simply add the Earth's acceleration of 9.8 m s-2 to this figure to get the acceleration of light relative to a geodesic in spacetime.

Here is the direct question: Do you claim that your "bendy light" is compatible with the direct observation made by Parallax about restoring the sunken ship image with a powerful zoom? This is not a detail on which you could "approximate" better, it is a fundamental observation. Your disregarding that is what hurts the FET.

No, it is not.

If what Parallax observed can be reduced to a particular case (a limit) of your theory, then you have a chance of improving the FET. Can you show that this is the case? Try and you’ll see that you can’t.

There are no special cases. I'm not going to trust what Parallax might have seen over my own rational thought.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: markjo on August 30, 2008, 11:09:26 AM
Here is the direct question: Do you claim that your "bendy light" is compatible with the direct observation made by Parallax about restoring the sunken ship image with a powerful zoom? This is not a detail on which you could "approximate" better, it is a fundamental observation. Your disregarding that is what hurts the FET.

No, it is not.

Steve, does this mean that you believe that because of bendy light, the sunken hull of a ship cannot be restored, no matter how powerful the magnification?  If so, that directly contradicts one of the fundamental tenets of FET.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on August 30, 2008, 11:16:03 AM
Steve, does this mean that you believe that because of bendy light, the sunken hull of a ship cannot be restored, no matter how powerful the magnification?  If so, that directly contradicts one of the fundamental tenets of FET.

Perhaps over short distances, it can. Certainly nothing more than ten kilometres or so.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: still learning on September 01, 2008, 04:02:01 AM
Quote
Here is the direct question: Do you claim that your "bendy light" is compatible with the direct observation made by Parallax about restoring the sunken ship image with a powerful zoom? This is not a detail on which you could "approximate" better, it is a fundamental observation. Your disregarding that is what hurts the FET.

Wouldn't that depend how far away the sunken ship was from the observers who claim to have restored the hull with a telescope?
I'd say that the observations made by Parallax were at least one mile away. For shorter distances, the perspective effect he talked about is practically inexistent. Do you disagree?

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With the distances we're talking about here it's conceivable that a perspective effect could take place before light had a chance to bend upwards by any significant degree.
You said that from a mile away, the bending of light is noticeable (see the first quote I used in this thread).

Now, what you're saying is that the ship's "sinking", from a distance more than a mile away, is a combination of the two causes: perspective and bending of light.

But if the bending of light is noticeable, it means that there are rays that won't get to the observer because of it, which means that there is at least a part of the "sunken" effect that won't be restored by any zoom.

Which means that you're saying that Parallax was a liar, which makes you a foe of the FET as revealed by Parallax, a founder of FES, no less! Or you could admit you were wrong with this hypothesis and let it go.

When Robosteve/ObL will give us some calculated values of "bending" I'll show you how ridiculous your hypothesis is with numbers, but it seems that we'll have to wait a while for that.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: still learning on September 01, 2008, 04:02:49 AM
Inches per mile per mile is not the same thing as inches per mile.
I will repeat: it's not the value itself (as long as it is not zero), but the bending that is ridiculous. And I'd appreciate it if you could explain what it means for a line to be bent "8 inches per mile per mile". Since when is the deviation measured in such a unit? And if what you calculated is not the deviation, than what value do you find for the deviation?

The deviation would be equal to 0x1 8 inches per mile per mile * dx2, where x1 is the horizontal distance travelled by the ray of light.
You still didn't explain (supposing you are able to) what does it mean for a line to be bent "8 inches per mile per mile". Can you explain it or not?

As for the formula, it is very ... useless, since you say nothing about the double integral, and what it means. How do you calculate a double integral using one dimension (from 0 to x1) ? Are you joking here or what? Could you at least show here how did you derive such a (ridiculous) formula?

And since you are supposed to know how to use it, could you tell me what is the value you obtain for a horizontal distance of, say, 3 miles? It would be nice to show you (and Tom Bishop) how ridiculous your hypothesis is with some numbers, as you don't seem to get it only qualitatively...

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Nothing is able to follow such a path, as the word "follow" implies the presence of a temporal dimension.
I hope you're not being intentionally dense about this...
In order to visualize a trajectory, without needing the time dimension, you could do the following: Take a number of objects and make them follow the said trajectory, at short (as short as possible) intervals of time. Then, when enough of them are “on the way”, you take a picture and voila! You can see it. So don't give me that excuse. Just tell me what do I need to do to have something follow a horizontal straight line. Please.

What you would be seeing in that case is not a geodesic in three-dimensional space, but a three-dimensional view of a geodesic in four-dimensional spacetime. You cannot have something follow a path in three-dimensional space without a temporal dimension, and therefore you cannot make something follow a geodesic in space, only in spacetime.
Ok, so you're being dense. :(
In order to compare the surface of the Earth with a "straight" line (in three dimensions, where the "flatness" has a useful meaning for us), we need useful a definition of "straight" lines (in three dimensions). All your talk about "geodesics" as "straight lines in four dimensions" is therefore useless for this. I proposed a way to visualize the three spatial dimensions of such a geodesic, such as not to need the time as a fourth dimension, but you decided to ignore it.

It's not the "following" that interests me (that needs "time"), but the visualizing of a straight line in three spatial dimensions. So I reiterate my question: Does your "theory" contain a useful definition of "straight lines" in three dimensions? Relative to what did you evaluate the "bending"? (That should be obvious once you show me how you have derived the double integral formula.)

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Quote
I already told you, the path light follows may be compared to a geodesic in four-dimensional spacetime. My calculation of 8 inches per mile per mile, however, represents an appropriation of the phenomenon to our own non-inertial frame of reference, such that it is relative to the surface of the Earth.
And my question for you is: compared to what "straight line" did you evaluate the "bending"? Again, don’t tell me it’s a line drown on the surface of the Earth, because that is a circular definition for Earth’s flatness. (Which renders the FET nonsensical and useless. Not helping!)

Assuming the Earth is flat and light does bend in the way I have supposed, then the calculation of "8 inches per mile per mile" is relative to the surface of the Earth. Simply add the Earth's acceleration of 9.8 m s-2 to this figure to get the acceleration of light relative to a geodesic in spacetime.
-- emphasis added --

But this is circular logic! You can't use the assumption of a flat Earth in order to calculate the bending of the light, which then would explain why we see what we see on our flat Earth! That would amount to "the Earth is flat because we started with the assumption that the Earth is flat", which is not what Zetetics is about. So that's how you're hurting FET, even if you don't get it. If you want to deduce from observations the true form of the Earth, you can't use the flatness as an axiom of your theory!

BTW, by constructing this ridiculous hypothesis about "bending light" , you're implicitly assuming that the observations agree with a "curved" shape of the Earth, which they don't! The restoring of the "sinked ship" image is not possible on the supposedly RE!

Without an independent definition of "straight", all your hypothesis does is make the flatness indistinguishable (by direct observation) from the "curvature" of the RET. That means throwing away one of the most powerful arguments revealed by Parallax, who showed that the zoom does restore the "sinked ship" effect, which means that we CAN observe (with adequate optical instruments) the fact that the Earth is flat! That is why so many people try to discredit Parallax, because his argument is so powerful.

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Here is the direct question: Do you claim that your "bendy light" is compatible with the direct observation made by Parallax about restoring the sunken ship image with a powerful zoom? This is not a detail on which you could "approximate" better, it is a fundamental observation. Your disregarding that is what hurts the FET.

No, it is not.
Ok, so at least you admit the incompatibility. It seems that Tom Bishop still doesn't see it...

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If what Parallax observed can be reduced to a particular case (a limit) of your theory, then you have a chance of improving the FET. Can you show that this is the case? Try and you’ll see that you can’t.
There are no special cases. I'm not going to trust what Parallax might have seen over my own rational thought.
Unfortunately, your "rational thought" is circular and therefore useless. Plus, you ignore all the hard zetetic work done by Parallax, with a hypothesis based on circular definitions ... That's exactly what Parallax wanted to avoid, the mistakes of all the "scientists" who started with their conclusions in order to "prove" them correct. And that's what you are doing.

Is your true intention to discredit the FET? Well, all you're doing is revealing the fallacies you personally call "rational thought".


Steve, does this mean that you believe that because of bendy light, the sunken hull of a ship cannot be restored, no matter how powerful the magnification?  If so, that directly contradicts one of the fundamental tenets of FET.

Perhaps over short distances, it can. Certainly nothing more than ten kilometres or so.
Well, it seems that we need to start using exact numbers, because Tom Bishop said that the effect of "bending light" is already noticeable from no more than one mile! So, please do the calculation for, say, 3 miles, to begin the precise evaluation of the ridiculousness of this hypothesis. :)
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on September 01, 2008, 05:13:56 AM
You still didn't explain (supposing you are able to) what does it mean for a line to be bent "8 inches per mile per mile". Can you explain it or not?

I should have thought that obvious.

As for the formula, it is very ... useless, since you say nothing about the double integral, and what it means. How do you calculate a double integral using one dimension (from 0 to x1) ? Are you joking here or what? Could you at least show here how did you derive such a (ridiculous) formula?

I was unfamiliar with the notation used with double integrals, and so made an educated guess. The vertical distance (in inches) by which the light is bent is given by 4x2, where x is the horizontal distance travelled in miles.

And since you are supposed to know how to use it, could you tell me what is the value you obtain for a horizontal distance of, say, 3 miles? It would be nice to show you (and Tom Bishop) how ridiculous your hypothesis is with some numbers, as you don't seem to get it only qualitatively...

Over three miles, light will deviate upwards by 36 inches.

Ok, so you're being dense. :(
In order to compare the surface of the Earth with a "straight" line (in three dimensions, where the "flatness" has a useful meaning for us), we need useful a definition of "straight" lines (in three dimensions). All your talk about "geodesics" as "straight lines in four dimensions" is therefore useless for this. I proposed a way to visualize the three spatial dimensions of such a geodesic, such as not to need the time as a fourth dimension, but you decided to ignore it.

It's not the "following" that interests me (that needs "time"), but the visualizing of a straight line in three spatial dimensions. So I reiterate my question: Does your "theory" contain a useful definition of "straight lines" in three dimensions? Relative to what did you evaluate the "bending"? (That should be obvious once you show me how you have derived the double integral formula.)

"8 inches per mile per mile" is relative to the surface of the Earth, assuming that it is a horizontal plane. This is not an unreasonable assumption to make in the context of these calculations, as this hypothesis only applies to FET.

But this is circular logic! You can't use the assumption of a flat Earth in order to calculate the bending of the light, which then would explain why we see what we see on our flat Earth! That would amount to "the Earth is flat because we started with the assumption that the Earth is flat", which is not what Zetetics is about. So that's how you're hurting FET, even if you don't get it. If you want to deduce from observations the true form of the Earth, you can't use the flatness as an axiom of your theory!

How else do you propose I calculate how far light should bend over a given horizontal distance?

BTW, by constructing this ridiculous hypothesis about "bending light" , you're implicitly assuming that the observations agree with a "curved" shape of the Earth, which they don't! The restoring of the "sinked ship" image is not possible on the supposedly RE!

I know.

Without an independent definition of "straight", all your hypothesis does is make the flatness indistinguishable (by direct observation) from the "curvature" of the RET. That means throwing away one of the most powerful arguments revealed by Parallax, who showed that the zoom does restore the "sinked ship" effect, which means that we CAN observe (with adequate optical instruments) the fact that the Earth is flat! That is why so many people try to discredit Parallax, because his argument is so powerful.

I see the hypothesis of bending light as an alternative to the work you are referencing, not an extension of it.

Unfortunately, your "rational thought" is circular and therefore useless. Plus, you ignore all the hard zetetic work done by Parallax, with a hypothesis based on circular definitions ... That's exactly what Parallax wanted to avoid, the mistakes of all the "scientists" who started with their conclusions in order to "prove" them correct. And that's what you are doing.

No it isn't.

Is your true intention to discredit the FET? Well, all you're doing is revealing the fallacies you personally call "rational thought".

No.

Well, it seems that we need to start using exact numbers, because Tom Bishop said that the effect of "bending light" is already noticeable from no more than one mile! So, please do the calculation for, say, 3 miles, to begin the precise evaluation of the ridiculousness of this hypothesis. :)

Over three miles horizontally, light will deviate vertically by 36 inches.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: still learning on September 02, 2008, 08:17:49 AM
You still didn't explain (supposing you are able to) what does it mean for a line to be bent "8 inches per mile per mile". Can you explain it or not?
I should have thought that obvious.
I'm not familiar with this kind of measurement: "...per mile per mile". What does it mean? Is that the same thing as "...per miles squared"? My limited knowledge of English may be the cause of this unclear point...

Quote
As for the formula, it is very ... useless, since you say nothing about the double integral, and what it means. How do you calculate a double integral using one dimension (from 0 to x1) ? Are you joking here or what? Could you at least show here how did you derive such a (ridiculous) formula?

I was unfamiliar with the notation used with double integrals, and so made an educated guess. The vertical distance (in inches) by which the light is bent is given by 4x2, where x is the horizontal distance travelled in miles and α is the smallest angle between the light ray and a horizontal plane at its origin.
I'm sorry that you were unfamiliar with the notation involved there. I hope you've educated yourself on the subject, in the meanwhile. If you don't express yourself correctly then it's a poor chance for me to understand what you really want to say.
Now, for the new formula, there must be something missing because the angle "α" doesn't appear in it, but you make a comment about it. Can you verify it and give the complete form?

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And since you are supposed to know how to use it, could you tell me what is the value you obtain for a horizontal distance of, say, 3 miles? It would be nice to show you (and Tom Bishop) how ridiculous your hypothesis is with some numbers, as you don't seem to get it only qualitatively...
Over three miles, light will deviate upwards by 36 inches.
Thanks. If I understood this correctly, for 10 miles this would give 400 inches, right?

Quote
BTW, by constructing this ridiculous hypothesis about "bending light" , you're implicitly assuming that the observations agree with a "curved" shape of the Earth, which they don't! The restoring of the "sinked ship" image is not possible on the supposedly RE!

I know.

Without an independent definition of "straight", all your hypothesis does is make the flatness indistinguishable (by direct observation) from the "curvature" of the RET. That means throwing away one of the most powerful arguments revealed by Parallax, who showed that the zoom does restore the "sinked ship" effect, which means that we CAN observe (with adequate optical instruments) the fact that the Earth is flat! That is why so many people try to discredit Parallax, because his argument is so powerful.

I see the hypothesis of bending light as an alternative to the work you are referencing, not an extension of it.
A valuable/(non ridiculous) alternative would be one that wouldn't hurt the FET, that is, one that would be compatible with it. You should remember that the FET is first and foremost a zetetic endeavor, based on observations! Given that the observations with telescopes as described by Parallax don't fit with the RE, they don't fit with your hypothesis either! If only you could understand that ...
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on September 02, 2008, 08:32:37 AM
I'm not familiar with this kind of measurement: "...per mile per mile". What does it mean? Is that the same thing as "...per miles squared"? My limited knowledge of English may be the cause of this unclear point...

It is an acceleration of sorts. For every mile the light travels, its gradient increases by 8 inches per mile.

I'm sorry that you were unfamiliar with the notation involved there. I hope you've educated yourself on the subject, in the meanwhile. If you don't express yourself correctly then it's a poor chance for me to understand what you really want to say.
Now, for the new formula, there must be something missing because the angle "α" doesn't appear in it, but you make a comment about it. Can you verify it and give the complete form?

Sorry, I had given the incorrect expression which involved an angle. When I later edited it out, I forgot to edit out the definition of α.

Thanks. If I understood this correctly, for 10 miles this would give 400 inches, right?

Yes.

A valuable/(non ridiculous) alternative would be one that wouldn't hurt the FET, that is, one that would be compatible with it. You should remember that the FET is first and foremost a zetetic endeavor, based on observations! Given that the observations with telescopes as described by Parallax don't fit with the RE, they don't fit with your hypothesis either! If only you could understand that ...

All I am doing is broadening its scope - creating a derivative work, if you will. This can only strengthen it because in the event that one branch of FET is shown to be wrong, there will be others that may survive.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: still learning on September 03, 2008, 02:58:02 AM
I'm not familiar with this kind of measurement: "...per mile per mile". What does it mean? Is that the same thing as "...per miles squared"? My limited knowledge of English may be the cause of this unclear point...

It is an acceleration of sorts. For every mile the light travels, its gradient increases by 8 inches per mile.

Thanks. If I understood this correctly, for 10 miles this would give 400 inches, right?

Yes.
Hmmm... Applying it for one mile then, the result is 4 inches. Yet you just said that for one mile the gradient increases by 8 inches per mile. So this "gradient" is not the deviation. It might help if you'd tell me what is the value of this "gradient" (or its increase ???) for 3 miles (or for 10 miles), so I can compare it with the 36 inches (or 400, respectively) of the deviation. :)

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All I am doing is broadening its scope - creating a derivative work, if you will. This can only strengthen it because in the event that one branch of FET is shown to be wrong, there will be others that may survive.
Well, maybe it's useless to talk epistemology with you. You don't care for self/internal consistency. You think that having a theory where one can explain, simultaneously a thing and it's negative (the possibility of the restoring the sunken ships' image in this case) is a good thing. A broadening of sorts.  :-X

Well, my point is that such a theory, being internally inconsistent, is laughable and has no real value. Therefore, FET has a lot more value without your hypothesis than while including it. That's why I intervened in this discussion, to warn you that you are hurting FET and not helping.

But hey, you declare that you want to help FET, therefore apparently you can say here whatever you want, and the FErs won't bother you. If I'm still learning and I see your error (in promoting this hypothesis), but the FErs who know more don't (or can't or won't), maybe I'm at fault ...

I'm sorry, but I still think your hypothesis is ridiculous. :-[
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on September 03, 2008, 11:04:17 AM
Hmmm... Applying it for one mile then, the result is 4 inches. Yet you just said that for one mile the gradient increases by 8 inches per mile. So this "gradient" is not the deviation. It might help if you'd tell me what is the value of this "gradient" (or its increase ???) for 3 miles (or for 10 miles), so I can compare it with the 36 inches (or 400, respectively) of the deviation. :)

The gradient is the instantaneous rate of change of height of the light ray above the ground with respect to horizontal distance travelled. It may be represented as dy/dx, and it is the tangent of the acute angle made between the light ray and a horizontal line. The total deviation over a certain distance is the cumulative effect of the change in gradient.

Since the gradient is increasing by 8 inches per mile every mile, then:

dy/dx = 8x + tan α

Where α is the angle at which the light is emitted. Since we are only interested in the difference in dy/dx from the expected straight line, and for a straight line the gradient is tan α, we may ignore this term and use dy/dx = 8x, as it is for horizontal light.

To find the cumulative effect of this change, we solve for y:

y = 0x1 8x dx

y = (4x12 - 4(02))

y = 4x12
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: astronomy101 on September 03, 2008, 01:35:34 PM
This is easily explained by the fact that light bends upwards.

(http://i35.tinypic.com/67jrxg.png)

What the hell.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: still learning on September 04, 2008, 07:52:47 AM
What the hell.
Obviously.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: spacemanjones on September 04, 2008, 05:59:39 PM
This is easily explained by the fact that light bends upwards.

(http://i35.tinypic.com/67jrxg.png)

What the hell.

He's 5.
Title: Re: Cloud question and clarification
Post by: Parsifal on September 04, 2008, 06:04:04 PM
This is easily explained by the fact that light bends upwards.

(http://i35.tinypic.com/67jrxg.png)

What the hell.

He's 5.

Or OpenOffice.org Draw doesn't have an easy way to draw parabolic arcs, so I used the free draw tool instead.