What is your opinion about Arrhenius' announcement?

[Jang Jin Hong]

At the ceremony of awarding Nobel prizes,
Svante Arrhenius said as following.

"Most discussion centers on his theory of relativity.
This pertains essentially to epistemology and has therefore
been the subject of lively debate in philosophical circles."

I agree with Arrhenius
what is the opinion of physicsits about this announcement?

 

[Gokul43201]

SR & GR were absolutely nowhere near as thoroughly verified in 1921/22 as they are today. Arrhenius' speech is well outdated, and relativity is way more than just an epistemological curiosity.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

"Most discussion centers on his theory of relativity."

Although Einstein eventually did get the prize (more to the benefit of the prize than to Einstein), it wasn't for his theory of relativity.

 

[Jang Jin Hong]

SR & GR were absolutely nowhere near as thoroughly verified in 1921/22 as they are today. Arrhenius' speech is well outdated, and relativity is way more than just an epistemological curiosity.

Form of relativity is axioms.
Axioms can not be verified by experiment.
That was accepted by usefulness in calculation.
"verified" and "accepted" are different thing.
the one is process of physical law,
but the other is process of metaphysical axiom.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Form of relativity is axioms.
Axioms can not be verified by experiment.

Can you give an example of a physical theory that has been verified by experiment?

 

[Jang Jin Hong]

Can you give an example of a physical theory that has been verified by experiment?

Except relativity itself and Quantum mechanics itself, Almost every thing described in textbook of physics are physical theory.
electomagnetic theory, astronomical theory, solid state physics, etc...

 

[Gokul43201]

Except relativity itself and Quantum mechanics itself, Almost every thing described in textbook of physics are physical theory.
electomagnetic theory, astronomical theory, solid state physics, etc...

Solid state physics is nothing but the quantum mechanics of solids. Astrophysics is built upon relativity. And the most accurate physical theory we have today is the theory describing electromagnetism - it's called quantum electrodynamics.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

electomagnetic theory.

Which experiment verifies electromagnetic theory?

 

[Moridin]

Although Einstein eventually did get the prize (more to the benefit of the prize than to Einstein), it wasn't for his theory of relativity.

The official motivation is "for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect"

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1921/

 

[Jang Jin Hong]

Solid state physics is nothing but the quantum mechanics of solids. Astrophysics is built upon relativity. And the most accurate physical theory we have today is the theory describing electromagnetism - it's called quantum electrodynamics.

We study that field of physical phenomena by using quantum mechanics and relativity.
The application of quantum mechanics and relativity are physics.
but to investigate relativity itself and quantum mechanics itself are not physics.
those are metaphysics.

 

[Gokul43201]

The application of quantum mechanics and relativity are physics.
but to investigate relativity itself and quantum mechanics itself are not physics.
those are metaphysics.

Was the investigation of Newtonian mechanics also not physics but only metaphysics?

And that brings us also to jimmy's question, which you are yet to answer.

 

[Jang Jin Hong]

Was the investigation of Newtonian mechanics also not physics but only metaphysics?

In my thought, Newton's first law is a metaphysical axiom.
I will not say about that problem in this forum. because that require long explanation.

And that brings us also to jimmy's question, which you are yet to answer.

I have said that. I can not understand what you want.
Kepler's elliptical orbit theory in astronomy.
Maxwell's equation in electomagnetism.
GL theory in solid state physics. etc..

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I can not understand what you want.

I am trying to understand what you mean by the word 'verify'. It sounds to me as if you mean that some scientific theories have been proven to be true by means of experiment but that others have not. That is why I ask again. Which experiment verifies electromagnetic theory? Who performed the experiment? When?

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I would also like to know if you can state the theory of electromagnetism as you understand it. I ask this because I want to know what you consider an axiom and what you do not consider an axiom.

 

[Jang Jin Hong]

I am trying to understand what you mean by the word 'verify'. It sounds to me as if you mean that some scientific theories have been proven to be true by means of experiment but that others have not. That is why I ask again. Which experiment verifies electromagnetic theory? Who performed the experiment? When?

Hertz verified Maxwell's theory about electromagnetic radiation in 1888 by using resonator.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Hertz verified Maxwell's theory about electromagnetic radiation in 1888 by using resonator.

Does this mean that electromagnetic theory is now a fact, or is it still a theory?

 

[Jang Jin Hong]

Does this mean that electromagnetic theory is now a fact, or is it still a theory?

Your question have some trap.
That is fact in the condition of relativity is accepted.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

That is fact in the condition of relativity is accepted.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks.

 

[Jang Jin Hong]

There are some people who have a antagonism to use word "metaphysics".
but I do not use word "metaphysics" to devaluate relativity and quantum mechanics.
Those are useful and important theories.
But there are too many distorted informations about relativity in general public,
such as wrong thought of Karl Popper.