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From: willner@cfa.harvard.EDU (Steve Willner)
Newsgroups: sci.physics,sci.philosophy.tech,sci.research,sci.misc,misc.misc
Subject: Re: Einstein's relativity and daily life
Message-ID: <695@cfa.cfa.harvard.EDU>
Date: Thu, 1-Oct-87 18:41:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: cfa.695
Posted: Thu Oct  1 18:41:42 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 5-Oct-87 07:25:46 EDT
References: <391@nikhefh.UUCP>
Organization: Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. for Astrophysics
Lines: 19
Keywords: science for the people
Summary: synchrotron light sources
Xref: mnetor sci.physics:2348 sci.philosophy.tech:503 sci.research:239 sci.misc:520 misc.misc:1917

In article <391@nikhefh.UUCP>, jona@nikhefh.UUCP (Jona Oberski) writes:
> Question: Which things - common instruments, consumergoods, etc. - would not
> exist if we would not have Einstein's Theory of Relativity: "ETR"?

Certainly no particle accelerators of any sort.  Particle
accelerators are now being used for medical treatment.  And aren't
synchrotron light sources used to make masks for VLSI circuits?  If
so, no personal computers or modern telephone switching systems.

No nuclear reactors (suggested in the original posting) is almost
certainly right.  (Though they might conceivably be developed
entirely empirically.)  If so, no radioisotopes.  These are used in
medicine and are also widely used as tracers in both plant and animal
physiology.  We would certainly not understand photosynthesis, for
example.  Wouldn't this have an effect on modern farming?
-- 
Steve Willner            Phone 617-495-7123          Bitnet: willner@cfa2
60 Garden St.            FTS:      830-7123           UUCP:   willner@cfa
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