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way to a new understanding of the time and space structure of the universe would be open.” The motivation to conduct such experiments in Earth orbit is solely due to technological considerations and has nothing to do with the dissident argument that space-based tests of special relativ- ity might produce radically different results than ground-based ones. But if Dayton Miller and other relativity critics are right, OPTIS may find much more than small deviations. As of February 2004, it is still uncertain whether OPTIS will receive necessary funding. The journal Nature gives the following update:” "OPTIS has received funding from the German Space Agency, and [project scientist] Schiller hopes for support from the European Space Agency (ESA). 'The central technology issues could be worked out in about four years,' he says—but the project hangs in the balance, pending the nod from ESA. Other space-based search- es for Lorentz violation are planned for the International Space Station. These include both Michelson—Morley-type experiments and ones involving atomic clocks. The earliest launch date for any of these is 2005." way to a new understanding of the time and space structure of the to target. By contrast, the finite propagation speed of light causes universe would be open.” radiation pressure forces to have a non-radial component causing The motivation to conduct such experiments in Earth orbit is orbits to decay (the "Poynting-Robertson effect"); but gravity has solely due to technological considerations and has nothing to do no counterpart force proportional to v/c to first order. with the dissident argument that space-based tests of special relativ- "General relativity (GR) explains these features by suggesting ity might produce radically different results than ground-based that gravitation (unlike electromagnetic forces) is a pure geometric ones. But if Dayton Miller and other relativity critics are right, effect of curved space-time, not a force of nature that propagates. OPTIS may find much more than small deviations. Gravitational radiation, which surely does propagate at lightspeed As of February 2004, it is still uncertain whether OPTIS will but is a fifth-order effect in v/c, is too small to play a role in receive necessary funding. The journal Nature gives the following _—_ explaining this difference in behavior between gravity and ordinary update:” forces of nature. Problems with the causality principle also exist for "OPTIS has received funding from the German Space Agency, GR in this connection, such as explaining how the external fields and [project scientist] Schiller hopes for support from the European between binary black holes manage to continually update without Space Agency (ESA). 'The central technology issues could be benefit of communication with the masses hidden behind event worked out in about four years,’ he says—but the project hangs in horizons. the balance, pending the nod from ESA. Other space-based search- "These causality problems would be solved without any change es for Lorentz violation are planned for the International Space to the mathematical formalism of GR, but only to its interpretation, Station. These include both Michelson—Morley-type experiments if gravity is once again taken to be a propagating force of nature in and ones involving atomic clocks. The earliest launch date for any flat spacetime with the propagation speed indicated by of these is 2005." observational evidence and experiments: not less than 2+ 10'°c. "Such a change of perspective requires no change in the assumed Evidence for Superluminal Signals character of gravitational radiation or its There is some evidence for the exis- lightspeed propagation. Although tence of superluminal signals in nature, " aye faster-than-light force propagation which contradicts the special relativistic Recognition of a faster-than- speeds do violate Einstein[ian] special idea that such signals violate causality lightspeed propagation of relativity (SR), they are in accord with and are therefore impossible. . +s Lorentzian relativity, which has never W. A. Rodrigues, Jr and others have gravity, as indicated by been experimentally distinguished from constructed formal solutions with all existing experimental SR—at least, not if favor of SR. arbitrary speeds 0 < v < oo of the main Indeed, far from upsetting much of cur- relativistic wave equations.” They call evidence, may be the key to rent physics, the main changes induced these solutions undistorted progressive taking conventional physics by this new perspective are beneficial waves (UPWs). These formal solutions to areas where physics has been strug- " have infinite energy and can therefore to the next plateau. gling, such as explaining experimental not exist in reality; however, numerical evidence for non-locality in quantum simulations and experiments with sound physics, the dark matter issue in cos- waves suggest that so-called finite mology, and the possible unification of aperture approximations to these waves can be generated." Such forces. Recognition of a faster-than-lightspeed propagation of grav- has been done, however, in all the finite aperture approximations ity, as indicated by all existing experimental evidence, may be the experimentally produced, only the peaks move superluminally; the key to taking conventional physics to the next plateau." wave fronts move at c, excluding the possibility of superluminal In a 2002 paper,® Van Flandern and Vigier extend these results signalling.” and conclude that the alleged Einstein "general speed limit" of c In "Finite energy superluminal solutions of Maxwell equations",* must be invalid. It must be understood that if the existence of de Oliveira and Rodrigues show that genuinely superluminal, finite- instantaneous signals (rather than "just" superluminal ones) were energy vacuum solutions of Maxwell's equations exist, which confirmed, this would instantly invalidate special relativity, which unfortunately cannot be produced by a finite antenna. The authors is founded on the impossibility of synchronising two distant clocks state, however, that "even if the new superluminal solutions cannot by means of an instantaneous signal. be produced by physical devices, the only possible reason for their non-existence in our universe is that of a possible violation of the Suppression of a Flaw in Quantum Theory principle of relativity". D. L. Hotson shares the following suppression story in "Dirac's Thomas Van Flandern shows in a series of papers that the force Equation and the Sea of Negative Energy"” (talking about himself of gravity must act in exactly the same fashion as it is calculated by in the third person): astronomers; that is, near instantaneously. Otherwise, angular "...Unfortunately, he could not resist asking awkward questions. momentum would no longer be conserved and planetary orbits His professors taught that conservation of mass-energy is the would be unstable. In "The Speed of Gravity - What the never-violated, rock-solid foundation of all physics. In 'pair Experiments Say", he writes: production’, a photon of at least 1.022 MeV ‘creates’ an electron- "Standard experimental techniques exist to determine the positron pair, each with 0.511 MeV of rest energy, with any excess propagation speed of forces. When we apply these techniques to being the momentum of the 'created' pair. So supposedly the gravity, they all yield propagation speeds too great to measure, conservation books balance. substantially faster than lightspeed. This is because gravity, in "But the ‘created’ electron and positron both have spin (angular contrast to light, has no detectable aberration or propagation delay momentum) energy of //4a. By any assumption as to the size of for its action, even for cases (such as binary pulsars) where sources electron or positron, this is far more energy than that supplied by of gravity accelerate significantly during the light time from source the photon at ‘creation’. "Recognition of a faster-than- lightspeed propagation of gravity, as indicated by all existing experimental evidence, may be the key to taking conventional physics to the next plateau." Suppression of a Flaw in Quantum Theory D. L. Hotson shares the following suppression story in "Dirac's Equation and the Sea of Negative Energy"” (talking about himself in the third person): ..Unfortunately, he could not resist asking awkward questions. His professors taught that conservation of mass— energy is the never-violated, rock-solid foundation of all physics. In 'pair production’, a photon of at least 1.022 MeV ‘creates’ an electron- positron pair, each with 0.511 MeV of rest energy, with any excess being the momentum of the 'created' pair. So supposedly the conservation books balance. "But the ‘created’ electron and positron both have spin (angular momentum) energy of //4a. By any assumption as to the size of electron or positron, this is far more energy than that supplied by the photon at ‘creation’. APRIL — MAY 2004 NEXUS * 35 www.nexusmagazine.com