RascalPuff's Blog

(Continued from Pt. I, above)

Then Einstein alters the situation of the elevator and its passengers. This time the experimenting passengers are still in the elevator, but they actually are in the void of deep space, far away from any appreciable gravitational influence. A cable is attached to the roof of the elevator car and an arbitrary force winches-in the cable at 32 feet per-second squared (the descent rate of free falling objects on earth). The elevator is therefore accelerating 'upward' through space. Again, the observers within the elevator have no idea where they are, and again they evaluate their situation by performing experiments. Their feet now rest firmly on the floor; they now have their 'normal' (as experienced on earth) body weight to support. Confirmed by scaled weight measurement. (The observers are actually measuring and obtaining inert mass values; not realizing they are not measuring gravitational mass values: their coordinate system having found the two values identical under the accelerating circumstances; indistinguishable from each other.)

Inertial & Gravitational Mass Values; which are not supposed to have anything to do with each other, are likewise indistinguishable at this *juncture. Which Einstein called *astonishing. The *coincidental confluence of two different methods of measuring and defining mass value; arriving at exactly the same - unrelated coordinates. *A pound of butter offers exactly a pound of resistance to acceleration: when the acceleration exactly - and 'coincidentally' - equals the descent rate of objects in free-fall @ 32' per second squared., on earth.

When the passenger’s in Einstein’s elevator jump, they do not float to the ceiling because the floor is constantly accelerating upward beneath them at the descent-rate for free-falling objects on earth.When the observers and various objects are weighed on a standard scale within the elevator at this time, they all have their 'normal' earth-weight (heavy mass value ). Due to their resistance - generated by physical matter - negative inertia: the tendency of all bodies at rest to remain at rest and offer resistance to outside forces acting upon them, including non-uniform motion. That is to say: inert mass value , opposing the acceleration (non-uniform motion) of the elevator floor.

If the elevator were accelerating at less than 32 ft. per-second, the objects and observers would weigh correspondingly less than their normal earth weight. If the elevator were accelerating at more than 32 ft. per-second, the objects and observers would weigh correspondingly more than their normal earth weight. When the observers in the test elevator release objects from their grip, the objects appear to descend vertically - 'fall'/accelerate-'downward' @ 32 ft. per-second (per second). When objects are tossed or pushed in a horizontal direction, those objects do not move in a straight line in accordance with the laws of inertia; instead the paths of the tossed objects - due to the acceleration of the elevator car - describe a parabolic curve; descending vertically at 32 feet per second squared, relative to the floor; in accordance with the laws of gravitation.
The observers remain unaware that their room is accelerating (ascending ever-faster) through deep space. They understandably conclude from direct experience and experimentation, that they are situated in quite ordinary circumstances in a windowless room on earth, influenced by conventional gravity.

THERE IS NO WAY FOR THE OBSERVERS TO DETERMINE FROM WITHIN THE ELEVATOR (coordinate system) WHETHER THEY ARE AT REST IN THE EARTH'S GRAVITATIONAL FIELD; WHERE ALL OBJECTS ARE 'PULLED' DOWNWARD @ 32 ft. per-second BY GRAVITY, or: WHETHER THEY ARE ACCELERATING IN AN INERTIAL SYSTEM (which they are in this case, @ 32 ft. per-second squared): WHERE THERE IS NO GRAVITY WHATSOEVER.

From his imaginative and now renowned 'elevator analogy', Einstein formulated a conclusion of unprecedented theoretical importance; that being: The General Principle Of Relativity: THERE IS NO WAY TO DISTINGUISH THE MOTION PRODUCED BY INERTIAL FORCES (acceleration/ centrifugal and centripetal force), FROM MOTION PRODUCED BY GRAVITATIONAL FORCE. This is the General Principle Of Relativity.

It borders on being a statement of the obvious, but we are about to see that sometimes it isn't so obvious at all. That people in general everywhere, actively refuse to recognize it, altogether. The greatest problem - and the most importantly unrecognized solution - in science, since 1916.

It is particularly noteworthy, because the Classical and Contemporary popular concept of UNIVERSAL GRAVITATION remains, that is to say, continues to be, a 'pulling force of attraction'.

That is to say, in 1686, Newton categorically and formally allowed that gravity 'may be' in fact, a repelling force. Then, in 1916, we have Einstein's General Principle Of Relativity equating gravity with acceleration, which is, once again, a repelling force. What I call: Newton's Gravitational Alternative - and Einstein's General Theory; on the same table. Historically 220 years apart. Lightning struck in the same place. Ominously joined, since the resiliently unrecognized and stubbornly unattended opportunity afforded, in The (Einstein's) General Theory, of 1916.


Again, this elicits a question: If we are to seriously consider gravity as a repelling force, how might it be meaningfully construed as such? That is to say, how do we apply Newton's Gravitational Alternative, combined with Einstein's General Principle, to correspond with the anthropomorphic Gravitational Experience?

We will return to this question and its answer by way of a brief comparative investigation of what relationship if any exists between Einstein's concept of gravity, derived from the General Theory Of Relativity, and Einstein's concept of the 4th Dimension, which is also, as we shall see, more than coincidentally derived from the General Theory Of Relativity.

A brief review the definition of dimensions as applied to the Three recognized Dimensions of Space, follows. Let it be qualified firstly that, in colloquial language, the term 'dimensions' may be correctly applied to any number of descriptions, such as 'dimensions' of music or thought or color for example. But, in physics there is only one definition for dimensions. Which we will reconsider, immediately after the following statement concerning contemporary academic physics and its representative posturing toward the subject of the (Einstein's) allegedly 'acknowledged' *4th Dimension (*of 'time and motion'). Mathematicians and physicists are of the consensus agreement that, when the definition of the 4th Dimension is applied to Reality-At-Large as Einstein proved it is in fact, then one automatically departs the realm of conscious experience and comprehensibility. This is the reason for example, that in one renowned case the reputedly omniscient, ever-present yet conceptually elusive 4th Dimension was professionally referenced as, 'a mathematical abstraction on anyone's wrist-watch'.

This is also the reason the 4th Dimension is a favorite conscript among science fiction writers and metaphysicists. There is unflappable security in speculations and improvisations of a subject, about which there is no recognized non-mathematical comprehension; no recognized absolutes or authorities (when the allegory expert falsely emerges everywhere, waxing of discovery, while claiming his subject is functionally unfindable). A haven for befuddled academic refugees. A jingoistic proving ground that endorses (and/or ambivalently disqualifies) everything and/or anything; according to the needs of the sometimes desperately ignorant, pretentious, scientifically name-saked 'authorities' and historical revisionists. Innocent ignorance is exonerated in this consideration.

No discourse on the 4th Dimension, whether it be physics or science fiction, would be complete without directly suggesting that it is 'unimaginable', or, 'incomprehensible', or 'something else', or 'someplace else' ('far out').

Yet, it is agreed that the 4th Dimension is 'time & motion'; somehow integrally combined with the 3 recognized Dimensions of Space; existing always and everywhere. Therefore we need very little imagination or faith in Einstein, to know that we are perpetually witnessing and experiencing the 4th Dimension, in simply being conscious of the reality we are part of; by which we are constantly surrounded. We can correctly go one step further. We can be confident that the 4th Dimension has been, and continues to be overlooked. That is, we can know that some very fundamental constituent or phenomenon of reality - with which we are all familiar, but which has yet to be recognized, is the 4th Dimension. The 4-Dimensional space-time continuum to be exact.

Today's physical scientists tell us that 'the 4th Dimension is time and motion'. They say this because they know Einstein proved it mathematically. But it is not a non-mathematically satisfactory answer; because it does not contribute to any further comprehension of what the 4th Dimension is, relative to The colloquial 3-Dimensional Experience. Time and Motion are measurable and comprehensible in Three Dimensions. Why not in 4? What is it about proven and measured 4-dimensional reality, that has not been recognized? Why has it not been recognized?