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==Fallacious Claims of Experimental Verification of Relativity==

==Fallacious Claims of Experimental Verification of Relativity==

Generally speaking, the effects of relativity, that is, the differences in physical observations between a formulation under relativity and a purely classical formulation, are extremely tiny.  This is related to the extremely high speed of light, <math>3 \times 10^8 m/s</math> relative to ordinary phenomena observed by humans.  (However, it's worth noting that ordinary magnetism can be considered a relativistic effect, dictated by the need for electrostatic theory to be correct under relativity.  The speed of light in fact appears in the formulas ([[Maxwell's Equations]]) governing electricity and magnetism, though these equations were developed long before relativity was proposed.)

The different effects predicted by special relativity, compared to classical formulations, are extremely tiny.  Most relativistic effects would not occur except at speeds near the high speed of light, <math>3 \times 10^8 m/s</math> relative to ordinary phenomena observed by humans.  (However, it's worth noting that ordinary magnetism can be considered a relativistic effect, dictated by the need for electrostatic theory to be correct under relativity.  The speed of light in fact appears in the formulas ([[Maxwell's Equations]]) governing electricity and magnetism, though these equations were developed long before relativity was proposed.)

Because the effects of relativity are so tiny, scientists have been devising sophisticated and sensitive tests ever since the theory was formulated in 1905.  In fact, at the end of Einstein's original 1905 paper [http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/einstein/E_mc2/www/ "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend its Energy Content?"], he speculates on the possibility that the equation <math>E = m c^2</math>, which would normally be very hard to verify, could be verified with the extremely high energies of the newly-discovered phenomenon of radioactivity.  The significance of that equation, however, remains debatable as nothing in [[quantum mechanics]] depends on it.

Because the effects of relativity are so tiny, scientists have been devising sophisticated and sensitive tests ever since the theory was formulated in 1905.  In fact, at the end of Einstein's original 1905 paper [http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/einstein/E_mc2/www/ "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend its Energy Content?"], he speculates on the possibility that the equation <math>E = m c^2</math>, which would normally be very hard to verify, could be verified with the extremely high energies of the newly-discovered phenomenon of radioactivity.  The significance of that equation, however, remains debatable as nothing in [[quantum mechanics]] depends on it.