On Sep 4, 8:22*am, Pentcho Valev wrote:
If it had not been for Newton the Villain, Divine Albert would not
have procrusteanized Nature into conformity with his 1905 false
constant-speed-of-light postulate:

http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/...806.1234v1.pdf
Mitchell J. Feigenbaum: "In this paper, not only do I show that the
constant speed of light is unnecessary for the construction of the
theories of relativity, but overwhelmingly more, there is no room for
it in the theory. (...) We can make a few guesses. There is a
"villain" in the story, who, of course, is Newton."

Accordingly, if it had not been for Newton the Villain, Divine Albert
would not have devised the "block universe", the absurd consequence of
the light postulate that has darkened so many bright minds in
Einsteiniana:

http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/indepth/39306
Lee Smolin: "The Newtonian schema is the basis for the claim that time
is not fundamental in cosmology. From this point of view, time is seen
merely as a parameter on a trajectory in configuration space, and not
as an intrinsic part of the physical law. The present moment, the time
we experience, has no place in this description. The philosopher who
does not believe in the flow of time points to the trajectory in the
configuration space and says that the only thing that is real is that
the whole history of the universe exists timelessly - what in general
relativity is called the "block universe" picture. Many physicists and
philosophers have fallen for the temptation of believing in the "block
universe" picture. To them, our experience of the flow of time is just
an illusion."

Newton the Villain was not always successful. He tried to fool Divine
Albert into believing that gravity does not bend light but Divine
Albert was vigilant and gloriously discovered that gravity does bend
light:

http://streamer.perimeterinstitute.c...?peid=5f32739a....
Lee Smolin: "Newton's theory predicts that light goes in straight
lines and therefore if the star passes behind the sun, we can't see
it. Einstein's theory predicts that light is bent...."

Pentcho Valev


You are all going to a lot of trouble over something as simple of
attaching too much significance to the Ra/Dec system for this provides
the bulk of absolute/relative time,space and motion definitions as it
was Newton's intention to use the calendar based predictive
convenience,(it predicts lunar and solar eclipses etc) to bridge the
divide between predictive experimental sciences at a human level with
predictions on an astronomical scale.

This is not a matter of running around stating Newton was wrong or an
exercise in forensics but rather a wider view of the matter,at least
from an astronomical point of viiew.