[TheForge] Michelson's and Morley's experiment

[Andy Vida]

Daniel Kretchmar wrote:
> 
>      If we are going to be specific, Michelson's and Morley's experiment proved
> that they could not detect the aether.

	This is a critical point.  In fact, they didn't even prove
	that much.  They proved that their particular experiment
	could not detect it.  Could others?  That will only be known
	for certain when one succeeds.  Negative propositions are
	inherently unprovable, at least as far as anyone knows. 

> (Its amazing where you finally get to use information from taking a course
> in "The History of Twentieth Century Physics". I have yet to use it in my
> classroom where I teach middle school science :)

	Holy crap!  You're either a very brave soul, nuts, or some
	kind of mega masochist... or perhaps a subtle combination 
	of all three...

	I taught a year in middle school.  The sixth graders were
	still very docile and listened... the seventh graders were
	absolutely off the wall insane.  Eight graders were better,
	but not by that much.  Of course, this was a borderline
	ghetto school in Brooklyn.

	I would say my year in a middle school shaved as many
	years off me as the other two in high schools, maybe a
	bit more.  It was my last in the NYC public school system,
	thanks be to the gods.

	No wonder you're a blacksmith.  At the ends of those days
	I needed something to beat on, too.  Many times I wanted 
	it to be a student, but that wasn't doable, so hot iron
	sufficed well enough. :)