"...the famous assertion by Einstein that the length of a rod depends on its velocity and on the chosen definition of simultaneity. ...is based on the fact that we do not measure the length of the rod, but its projection on a system at rest. How the length of the projection depends on the choice of simultaneity can be illustrated by reference to a photograph taken through a focal-plane shutter. Such a shutter... consists of a wide band with a horizontal slit, which slides down vertically. Different bands are photographed successively on the film. Moving objects are therefore strangely distorted; the wheels of a rapidly moving car for instance, appear to be slanted. The shape of the objects in the picture will evidently depend on the speed of the shutter. Similarly, the length of the moving segment depends on the definition of simultaneity. One definition of simultaneity differs from another because events that are simultaneous for one definition occur successively for another. What may be a simultaneity projection of a moving segment for one definition is a "focal-plane shutter photograph" for another."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Academics from GermanyJews from GermanyPhilosophers from GermanyPeople from HamburgEducators from Germany
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Imported from EN Wikiquote
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hans_Reichenbach
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Hans Reichenbach
Hans Reichenbach (26 September 1891 – 9 April 1953) was a leading philosopher of science, educator and proponent of logical positivism.
38 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Hans Reichenbach →
Related Quotes
"It is remarkable that this generalization of plane geometry to surface geometry is identical with that generalization…"
"If heat were the affecting force, direct indications of its presence could be found which would not make use of geome…"
"Although it is admitted that certain differences cannot be verified by experiment, we should not infer from this fact…"
"The surfaces of three-dimensional space are distinguished from each other not only by their curvature but also by cer…"
"...the stereographic projection of the spherical surface. From the north pole P we draw radial lines to project every…"
"...the order of betweenness does not depend on mutual distances... betweenness is purely a relational order."
"...the relation of betweenness on the torus is undetermined for curves that cannot be contracted to a point [e.g., ci…"
"Euclidean geometry can be easily visualized; this is the argument adduced for the unique position of Euclidean geomet…"
"...the differential element of non-Euclidean spaces is Euclidean. This fact, however, is analogous to the relations b…"
"If along the path of truth, success (which was often near-failure unnoticed) is subjected to the same scrutiny and de…"