In the West, it is believed that the Theory of Special Relativity is a stupendous scientific breakthrough by the genius Albert Einstein concerning the nature of space and time. The theory is all the more impressive, it is said, for defying common sense and for only being understood by a tiny mathematical elite. However, the Commission has been informed that Special Relativity is based on the Relativity and Light Principles.
According to the Relativity Principle, the laws of dynamics, optics, electrodynamics etc are the same for any unaccelerated observer, irrespective of the speed and direction of that observer with respect to the rest of the universe; and according to the Light Principle the in vacuo speed of any light ray is a constant 300,000 km/sec (1.0c), when measured in any observer?s non-rotating un-accelerated frame of reference. The Relativity Principle has two corollaries: in Corollary (A) each observer acknowledges that his chronometer is un-slowed, and in Corollary (B) each observer acknowledges that his measuring stick is unshrunk. And the Light Principle has Corollary (C) in which each un-accelerated observer acknowledges that an outbound light ray has the same speed as an inbound light ray.
Proceeding from the above, expert witnesses testified that Special Relativity derives a number of amazing consequences: according to Consequence [I] an observer who is stationary in an un-accelerated frame perceives that clocks in motion relative to that frame have a slower clock-rate (relativistic time dilation), and in Consequence [II] the observer perceives that solid objects are foreshortened in the direction of the motion of those objects relative to that observer?s frame of reference (Fitzgerald length contraction) . Also, in Consequence [III] an observer perceives that a stern clock on a relatively moving spaceship is in advance of the bow clock of that ship, provided the astronauts have properly synchronized those clocks (the relativity of simultaneity).
After further inquiry the Commission found that relativists believe that relativistic clock-slowing is ?real?, but that Fitzgerald length contraction is ?observational only?. It has been testified that Special Relativity has been confirmed time and time again by experiment, but for all that the Commission has been made aware that ordinary folk continue to be astonished by the ?reciprocity of observations?. An example of this phenomenon is where Unni observes relatively-moving Prima to have a slow running clock, and Prima observes relatively-moving Unni to have slow running clock, implying that both clocks are running slower than each other! But lack of understanding of this and other relativity paradoxes, experts say, is the result of humans being the product of biological evolution in an environment where travel was at speeds much less than that of light, and where relativistic effects were very small.
