RE: [asa] Scientific Mysteries

George wrote: I think Max Jammer is likely right (in his book Einstein and
Religion) that Einstein's interest in a static universe was connected with
his belief in Spinoza's pantheism in which God and the universe are
different terms for the same thing (deus sive natura).

The Static Universe Theory, assuming it had some formalized acknowledgement
in mainstream science, was the prevailing theory by far, as I understand it.
BBT and Steady State Theory, as its counter theory, followed, of course.
This intrigues me since suggestions of an infinite universe were not popular
in the past centuries. [This was a part of the Bruno case, I think, though
his heretical views against the tenets of Christianity were the far greater
issue. I recently read he was excommunicated by both Catholic and
Protestant (i.e., Lutheran) faiths.]

George said: Einstein did, as Moorad suggests, have some arrogance.
Supposedly when he was asked what he would have done if the results on
bending of starlight by the sun agreed with Newton's theory rather than his
own, he said, "Then I would have been sorry for the dear Lord." (Of course
arrogance is not unknown among other scientists - & for that matter,
theologians!)

Einstein seems to have made up for his error regarding Lemaitre by giving
him public praise:

[from: http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/science/sc0022.html]

"In January 1933, the Belgian mathematician and Catholic priest Georges
Lemaitre traveled with Albert Einstein to California for a series of
seminars. After the Belgian detailed his Big Bang theory, Einstein stood up
applauded, and said, 'This is the most beautiful and satisfactory
explanation of creation to which I have ever listened.' "

[I think Einstein's physics is correct but his exegesis abominable. *wink*
It is a delight to see such reconciliation with Lemaitre. J]

"Coope"

Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/

----- Original Message -----

From: George Cooper <mailto:georgecooper@sbcglobal.net>

To: asa@calvin.edu

Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 2:02 PM

Subject: RE: [asa] Scientific Mysteries

Any idea why Einstein originally considered Lemaitre's GR work inferior?
Einstein, apparently, stated: "Vos calculs sont corrects, mais votre
physique est abominable" (Your math is correct, but your physics is
abominable).

[per Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Lema%C3%AEtre]

[Sometimes it seems people underestimate the Georges of this world. *wink*]

"Coope"

From: George Murphy [mailto:GMURPHY10@neo.rr.com]
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 8:34 AM
To: Alexanian, Moorad; George Cooper; asa@calvin.edu
Subject: Re: [asa] Scientific Mysteries

I'm not sure of the temporal priorities but doubt that Hilbert would have
been pursuing the appropriate line of thought if it hadn't been for
Einstein's work.

Pauli's note on this in his well known book is interesting. "At the same
time as Einstein, and independently, Hilbert, formulated the generally
covariant field equations. ... His presentation, though, would not seem to
be acceptable to physicists, for two reasons. First, the existence of a
variational principle is assumed as an axiom. Secondly, of more importance,
the field equations are not derived for an arbitrary system of matter, but
are specifically based on Mie's theory of matter." Most theorists today I
think would be a bit baffled by the 1st criticism.

BTW, this all helps to show the absurdity of the statement that "only six
men in the world understand Einstein," not just today but at the time it was
made ~1919. You can just go through the references in Pauli's book & find
names of over a dozen people who had published on general relativity by
then. (Someone once asked Eddington if it was true that only 3 people in
the world undertood relativity & he said - jokingly - "Who is the third?")

Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/

----- Original Message -----

From: Alexanian, Moorad <mailto:alexanian@uncw.edu>

To: George Murphy <mailto:GMURPHY10@neo.rr.com> ; George
<mailto:georgecooper@sbcglobal.net> Cooper ; asa@calvin.edu

Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 11:42 AM

Subject: RE: [asa] Scientific Mysteries

What was the contribution of David Hilbert to general relativity? I read
where Einstein was consulting Hilbert on what Hilbert was doing and, in
fact, Hilbert published the equations of general relativity before Einstein
did.

Moorad

From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
Behalf Of George Murphy
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 11:26 AM
To: George Cooper; asa@calvin.edu
Subject: Re: [asa] Scientific Mysteries

"Gravitation is just the universe trying to straighten itself out" (E.
Whittaker).

(Something of an inside joke. The gravitational Lagrangian in Einstein's
theory to be used in the principle of stationary action [sometimes
inaccurately called "least action"] is the curvature scalar of space-time.)

Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/

----- Original Message -----

From: George Cooper <mailto:georgecooper@sbcglobal.net>

To: asa@calvin.edu

Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 10:53 AM

Subject: RE: [asa] Scientific Mysteries

Oh, I almost forgot.

Gravity, what is it?

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Received on Fri Jun 13 18:07:36 2008