LECTURE ON RELATIVITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 208, 31 August 1920, Page 7

LECTURE ON RELATIVITY.

A "NOISE" NOT A "NOISE.** The theory of relativity was the subject of a lecture delivered by Mr. E. V. Miller at a meeting of the Auckland Institute in St. Andrew's Hall. Inst evening. Professor A. I. W. Thomas presiding. The lecturer pointed out that sclent!-.-:non did not nse the word "relativity" in Its ail-embraclng aense that there were .nyrl.ids of things In the universe which stood In some sort of relation to each other, but gave It a somewhat restricted meaning. Relativity must imply a relation between two or more things. The theory supposed that motion was always a relation between at least two things. To say that a Ship ha-l a certain speed was therefore Incorrect, as one body could' not have any sort ot a motion. Mr. Miller remarked that when primitive man banged a drum with a stick he conceived that the drum mad.' a noise. Consequently it would be an utterly new and l.lzarre conception to him that what really emanated from the drum was not a noise at all but a silent train of waves iv the air which only became a noise when they .-ume to affect his consciousness. Dealing with Ernsreln's theory, published In r.Kj3. which he described as a modification of Newton's principles. Mr. Miller said its effect in linking up the hitherto refractory phenomena of gravitation with inertia an.l the rest of physi.-s was one of the great advances in tlie history of s'- J entidc thought. |