On Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:07:17 +1300, cliff wright
wrote:

Ah Richard! I see where I didn't make myself clear.
There are 2 points of view here (or 2 observers).
For the mythical observer on the "wave packet" as special relativity
tells us, at c time ceases to pass. The corollary of this is that the 40
million years it takes a quantum of light from M104, for example, to
reach my eye at the eyepiece of my telescope does NOT exist from the
Quantum's point of view. Or from another aspect the space between the
galaxy and Earth doesn't exist from the same point of view since it was
traversed in zero time.

Hi Cliff,

Yes.

From my point of view at relatively zero velocity there is a 40 million
LY gap to traverse in ~40MY

Yes.

but surely if special relativity is correct
this is not what the quantum "experiences" at all.

Experience necessarily connotes a "before" and "after." There must be
some interval of time. Hence quantum, by your first observation,
cannot experience anything as everything is simultaneous.

Presumably it
"experiences" emission from an atom in M104 and absorbtion by an atom in
my retina as extremely (perhaps 2x Planck times) close events,

The time to convert a photon to a photochemical response runs to
several femtoseconds.

unless it
passea through a medium in which the velocity of light is less than c on
the way.

That would have nothing to do with anything, except for a second
observer who is the only one to gain by "experience."

Certainly I agree with you that electromagnetic radiation cannot travel
faster than c in this universe.

And it would be remarkable if it did seeing it is light anyway.

But that is not to presume that other
forms of energy tranfer may not be possible at higher velocties.

That has already been demonstrable for 70 years. However, what has
been demonstrated was perfectly within the context of pre-existing
theory, math, and experimental observation.

A possible example is "gravitational radiation"

Coining new terms where gravitation already has a body of science
behind it does not further the dialog.

which although it is one
possible explanation for certain astrnomical phaenomena has NOT yet been
detected.

An unusual comment given it is an ordinary experience available to
even the tribesman of sub-Saharan Africa.

My research into such instruments as LIGO shows that a major
factor in the hoped for detection is an assumption that this radiation
travels at c.

What you are talking about is gravity waves (let's at least use the
terminology of research rather than substituting in "radiation" to no
obvious gain). There are those who would say it is instantaneous
throughout the universe, and does not propagate at all. Hence the
inability to detect them.

It kind of goes with the old real estate saying that they are not
making any more of it (land/gravity).

This is neccessary for correlation of signals and observed
events.

Neither of which have been detected. Do you note a contradiction
here?

If this quadrapole radiation travels at some other velocity then
null results are just what one would expect.

But by your earlier statements, there are some who do not expect this
at all. Given the contrary positions, neither of which that can be
proven, much of this is fevered thinking.

The null results of SETI do not surprise me for a similar reason.

No reason has been proposed.

If there are advanced starfaring races out there radio or other EM
communication would be woefully inadequate and either not used at all or
only for very specialised (and slow) directional links which are
unlikely to send data towards Earth. If not then we are just an anomally
and we won't be around for long enough to matter on the cosmic scale.

Well, this has scant relation to the start of the post, except both
suffer from lack of demonstrables. There is an infinity of negative
relations that cannot be supported, and these are only two of them.
Sounds like the beginning (or ongoing) of entropy.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC