X-Message-Number: 19146
Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 09:03:48 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: CryoNet #19143 - #19144

For John Morgan:

For Joseph Morgan:

I do not write this note to defend George Smith. However I ASSUME that
the reference you give for relativity includes general relativity, in
which the speed of light DOES change due to gravity. For that matter,
if we wish to discuss this issue carefully, we must also define "speed"
much more explicitly. If we don't then it can be truthfully said that
the speed of light changes when it passes through water or glass.

The main point I believe George was making was not the merits of
his references but the possibility that our current physics may turn
out to be WRONG. Since all previous theories about how the Universe
works have turned out eventually to be wrong, it should not surprize
us if we wake up from suspension to learn that our present theories
are wrong. If so, lots of things might happen. Just to give an 
example, but not to put it forward as Reality, suppose that we
eventually learn that the Universe is infinite dimensional, even
though we are aware only  of a particular 3 plus a time dimension.
"Infinite" here means not countably infinite, but as infinite as
the real numbers. I will also suppose that depending on the dimension
(other than the 3 we know) on which we move, we go to positions in
the same direction but at a variety of distances, from the smallest
to gigalightyears. Our current problem is that we aren't aware
of these dimensions. If we learn how to move along them, then just
how fast are we moving when we go to the Andromeda Galaxy for lunch
and come back afterwards to our office on Earth?

I could go on and work out many consequences of such a Universe, 
but I believe it is good enough as an example already.

			Best wishes and long long life,

				Thomas Donaldson

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