Related papers: Why does the meter beat the second?

Zeno's paradoxes are explained as being the result of inappropriate combination of discrete and continuous mathematical systems. It is proposed that the source of this confusion lies in the course of development of the number system, which…

Sustained oscillations in power systems are dangerous. There are various mechanisms, for instance, limit cycle and forced oscillation, that may lead to sustained oscillations, which nevertheless are hard to differentiate. In this paper, a…

This paper is about the metaphysical debate whether objects persist over time by the selfsame object existing at different times (nowadays called `endurance' by metaphysicians), or by different temporal parts, or stages, existing at…

This paper presents a distance function between sets based on an average of distances between their elements. The distance function is a metric if the sets are non-empty finite subsets of a metric space. It can be applied to produce various…

In the first part of this paper the notion of natural metric on the set of natural numbers is defined. It is such metric that the completion of N is a compact metric space that a probability borel measure exists in order that the sequence…

Standard treatments of general relativity accept the gravitational slowing of clocks as a primary phenomenon, requiring no further analysis as to cause. Rejecting this attitude, I argue that one or more of the fundamental "constants"…

In this paper, we propose the Fourier Discrepancy Function, a new discrepancy to compare discrete probability measures. We show that this discrepancy takes into account the geometry of the underlying space. We prove that the Fourier…

When a ball hits a surface, does the angle of reflection always equal the angle of incidence? Not at all! Depending on the interplay of the ball's spin and speed and the force of friction, the ball's behavior after the bounce may differ…

It has been proposed that measurement in quantum mechanics results from spontaneous breaking of a symmetry of the measuring apparatus and could be a unitary process that preserves coherence. Viewed in this manner, it is argued,…

Progress in realizing the SI second had multiple technological impacts and enabled to further constraint theoretical models in fundamental physics. Caesium microwave fountains, realizing best the second according to its current definition…

All differences between the role of space and time in nature are explained by proposing the principles in which none of the spacetime coordinates has an {\it a priori} special role. Spacetime is treated as a non-dynamical manifold, with a…

When talking to secondary school students, first impressions are crucial. Accidentally say something that sounds boring and you'll lose them in seconds. A physical demonstration can be an eye-catching way to begin an activity or spark off a…

Relativistic twin paradox can have important implications for Mach's principle. It has been recently argued that the behavior of the time asynchrony (different aging of twins) between two flying clocks along closed loops can be attributed…

The problem of absolute motion in the context of the twin paradox is discussed. It is shown that the various versions of the clock paradox feature some aspects which Mach might have been appreciated. However, the ultimate cause of the…

We propose to effectively realize a time-dependent gravitational acceleration by using a running elevator, so that a simple pendulum inside it effectively becomes one with a time-dependent gravitational acceleration. We did such an…

A summary is given of the present status of the theory and experiment of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. A difference between predicted and measured values is an indication of physics beyond the Standard Model. A new experimental…

In this paper, we obtain new observability inequalities for the vibrating string. This work was motivated by a recent paper by A. Szij\'art\'o and J. Heged\H{u}s in which the authors ask the question of determining the initial data by only…

The looping pendulum is a simple physical system consisting of two masses connected by a string that passes over a rod. We derive equations of motion for the looping pendulum using Newtonian mechanics, and show that these equations can be…

Recent results announced as measurements of the muon's anomalous magnetic moment are in fact measurements of the muon's anomalous spin precession frequency. This precession frequency receives contributions from both the muon's anomalous…

Why does the physical 4-dimensional space have a 3 + 1 signature rather than a 4 + 0 or a 2 + 2 for its metric? We give a simple explanation based largely on a group-theoretic argument a la Wigner. Applied to flat spaces of higher…