The equivalence principle

Jan, As I understand the difference in GR,SR&LR is a very minor issue dealing with perspective and not conflict.

The existence of gravitational waves is predicted by GR and implies that objects contract under the influence of such a wave. The project LIGO and VIRGO are to detect this phenomena. Does a gravitational wave alter the characteristics of light?

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=2 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>[Jan]: The existence of gravitational waves is predicted by GR and implies that objects contract under the influence of such a wave. The project LIGO and VIRGO are to detect this phenomena. Does a gravitational wave alter the characteristics of light?<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

No. In the interpretation Meta Research places on them, gravitational waves are simply very-long-wavelength electromagnetic waves ("light"). But in anybody's interpretation, they do nothing to affect gravitational force. Objects do not really "contract", but rather oscillate as a gravitational wave passes. The amount of the theoretical oscillation is a small fraction of the diameter of an atom, which is why no such wave has yet been detected. -|Tom|-

Have a look at the preposterous article "General Relativity Sinks Submarine" that has just been published by Nature.

It is certainly not in my nature to be sarcastic, but this article does put some serious limits on the sanity of all the parties involved. The authors conclude, through some "rigorous" maths, that a submarine traveling near the speed of light with respect to a static fluid will sink to the bottom. This paradox has now been solved, but when I read "Let us assume the submarine to have rectangular shape and..." all hope to get a well-founded physical explanation did indeed sink. The psychology of the general relativist has now reached a stage that it cannot be left unchecked. I rest my case.