Einstein vs. Galileo: Eppur Si Muove?

Event Summary

A fascinating characteristic of physics is that the answers it provides for certain eternal questions get reprised with each fundamentally new physical theory.  An excellent example is provided by that most basic question of the cosmic motion of our own home, the Earth.  Most interested people are aware of the progress of astronomical inquiry into this question up until the time of Galileo and Newton, but the ways this question has further evolved, and may continue to evolve, receive less general attention.  For example, it is not widely appreciated that certain aspects of Einstein's approach to motion, inspired by Mach, are not consistent with the Galilean doctrine of "eppur si muove."  Professor Kenneth Gayley, Univ. of IA, will explore what we can, and cannot, say about the motion of the Earth, and in the process attempt to explore the very meaning of astronomical knowledge. Weather permitting, the presentation will be followed by telescope viewing.  Donations welcome.

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