Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around the relationship between permittivity, permeability, and the speed of gravity, exploring whether these electromagnetic properties influence gravitational fields. Participants express confusion and curiosity regarding the implications of these concepts in theoretical physics.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Debate/contested
- Conceptual clarification
Main Points Raised
- One participant notes that the speed of light is constrained by permittivity and permeability, questioning why these properties would also affect the speed of gravity, given that electric and magnetic fields do not seem to influence gravitational fields.
- Another participant asserts that any massless relativistic wave, including electromagnetic waves, travels at the speed of light, while suggesting that if a photon had mass, its speed would be less than that of light, linking this to the de Broglie relations.
- A participant requests clarification on who claims that permittivity and permeability constrain the speed of gravity.
- In response, another participant references various claims made by individuals regarding this topic and provides links to Wikipedia entries for further context.
- One participant describes the notion of permittivity and permeability affecting gravity as "fringe physics."
- Another participant argues that without context, the question is difficult to understand, but states that electromagnetic fields have a non-vanishing energy momentum tensor that produces a gravitational field, suggesting a coupling between electromagnetic and gravitational fields.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
The discussion contains multiple competing views, with participants expressing differing opinions on the relationship between electromagnetic properties and gravity, and no consensus has been reached.
Contextual Notes
Participants express confusion and uncertainty regarding the implications of permittivity and permeability on gravity, and the discussion includes references to external sources that may not be universally accepted.