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SUMMARY:Not even wrong - Dr Robert Brady (Cambridge Computer Laboratory)
DTSTART:20191031T180000Z
DTEND:20191031T193000Z
UID:TALK133024@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Trinity College Science Society
DESCRIPTION:"Twelve years ago\, Peter Woit wrote an iconoclastic book abou
 t physics entitled “not even wrong”. He argued that the discipline of 
 string theory is not a science because it fails to propose any experiment 
 that could show the theory to be wrong. Such failures are not new. Much of
  modern physics is founded on the principle that the speed of light is con
 stant. Yet when Einstein proposed this in 1905\, he recognised that no exp
 eriment could be performed to distinguish it from Lorentz's earlier theory
 \, in which measuring instruments become distorted when they move through 
 the light medium so that merely the measured speed of light is constant. S
 ince no experiment can distinguish the two approaches\, it follows that th
 e theory of special relativity is “not even wrong”. In this talk I wil
 l review Einstein’s debate with Lorentz from 1905 to 1922 and show that 
 he won the argument by invoking an assumption that is now known to be fals
 e. This has important consequences: for example\, later developments in th
 e field of analogue gravity may have received inadequate attention because
  they are close to Lorentz’s ideas. In the main body of my talk\, I will
  discuss recent experiments on analogues of quantum mechanics by Yves Coud
 er\, who died in April 2019. Ross Anderson and I showed that Couder’s ex
 periments indicate\, in quantitative detail\, how Lorentz may have been ri
 ght after all."\n\nThe event will be hosted at Winstanley Lecture Theatre.
  To access the venue\, enter the gate opposite to Great Gate\, turn right\
 , head upstairs\, and take the second left turn. Doors will open at 18:00 
 with refreshments\, and the talk will start at 18:15.
LOCATION:Winstanley Lecture Hall\, Trinity College
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