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Einstein’s mind experiment (Gedanken Experiment) of riding on a beam of 
light, looking at the light, and seeing a stationary local maximum.

Okay, I’ll give it a try although simplifying theoretical physics is 
usually a fool’s errand…

Let’s try a simpler Gedanken Experiment.  Imagine you are standing still 
on a train platform and as the train is going by you are looking at the 
seats in the cars.  This train however never ends, its length is 
infinity. From the platform if you try to measure (for instance with a 
tape measure) the seats you have set yourself to an impossible since no 
one seat stops for you to measure it. [The various mathematical 
functions of the seat cannot be determined by you.]

Now, get on the train.  You and the train (Einstein and the beam of 
light) are moving at the same speed.  Take out a tape measure and you 
have no problem taking measurements [mathematical functions] of the 
seat.

So in very simplistic terms, our theory of trains [electromagnetic 
theory] states that since you are always standing on the platform 
looking at the passing train, you cannot measure the height of the seat 
(or anything else) so the seat [like electromagnetism] has no maximum 
characteristics [mathematical functions].

However, if you get on the train, you would be able to measure the seat. 
Now if theory states you can never measure the seat and yet you realize 
that under very special conditions you can measure the seat, there is 
either something wrong with the theory or it does not apply to the 
train.

If Einstein’s Gedanken Experiment was correct and while riding along 
with a beam of light he could determine light’s mathematical functions, 
then either the theory of electromagnetism was incorrect, or there was 
something special about light so it did not adhere to the theory of 
electromagnetism. The latter is the case.

Best I can do.

Tom Lesser
former Senior Lecturer, American Museum-Hayden Planetarium,





On Thu, Jun 13, 2013 at 8:08 AM, Sarah Gruber wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology 
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related 
> institutions.
> 
> *****************************************************************************
>
> Yes, please explain!
>
> On Jun 12, 2013, at 5:09 PM, Eric Siegel <[log in to unmask]> 
> wrote:
>
>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology 
>> Centers
>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related 
>> institutions.
>> 
>> *****************************************************************************
>>
>> can anyone explain this to me in terms that I, a layperson, might 
>> understand?  Alan Friedman, are you there?  I have always heard the 
>> "riding on a beam of light" thought experiment, but don't understand 
>> the "stationary local maximum" bit.
>>
>> thanks in advance
>>
>> eric siegel
>>
>> "Einstein, somewhere around 12 or 14, asked himself the question, 
>> ``What would a light wave look like if I went with the velocity of 
>> light to look at it?'' Now he knew that electromagnetic theory says 
>> you cannot have a stationary local maximum. But if he moved along 
>> with the velocity of light, he would see a local maximum. He could 
>> see a contradiction at the age of 12, 14, or somewhere around there, 
>> that everything was not right and that the velocity of light had 
>> something peculiar."
>> -- 
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