Questions
the quantum medium view answers

1. Why is the speed of light (in vacuum) observed to be constant in all inertial reference frames? The constant speed of light, c, is the assumption underlying relativity theory that results in the inability of observers moving relative to one another to agree on distances, times, and masses. The entire theory of relativity rests on this assumption that every photon has the same speed through every inertial frame, regardless of the velocities of the reference frames relative to one another. Orthodox physics theory cannot explain how this constant speed of light, c, is possible.
Brief qm view explanation: The illusion of constant light speed, c, is due in part to different standards of time and distance in different inertial reference frames due to the different velocities of the frames through the quantum medium and the physical effects in a body or system caused by its motion through the medium. The combination of a reference frame's distance and time standards, clock asynchronizations, and the assumed constant speed of light, c, always results in the same, observed, isotropic speed of light, c. The fact that these logical consequences of the medium always combine to create the same observed speed of light is strong evidence that the qm view is correct.


2. How can a very small mass of matter have a huge amount of internal energy. One gram of any kind of matter (e.g. 1 cc of water) has an internal energy greater than the chemical energy in 20 thousand tons of TNT. Although e=m·c correctly relates a body's internal energy, e, in joules to its mass, m, in kilograms, orthodox theory does not reveal the source of this huge internal energy.
Brief qm view explanation: All the particles comprising a body (e.g. electrons, quarks, photons) are systems of high frequency, high energy density oscillations in the quantum medium. The energies of these subatomic systems are in the form of the oscillations of the medium. Although the energies of individual subatomic systems are very small, the huge numbers of systems known to exist in 1 gram of matter result in the gram's huge internal energy.


3. Why do bodies have inertia (i.e. resist changes in their velocity)? Current particle theory posits the existence of a "Higgs particle" that imparts mass to other particles. In 2012 a particle closely resembling the proposed Higgs particle was observed at the LHC particle accelerator near Geneva, Switzerland.
Brief qm view explanation: All quanta of mass/energy (e.g. electrons, quarks) are systems of oscillations of the quantum medium, and the oscillations are the source of every quantum's inherent mass and energy. The quanta do not need an external source of mass and an external source of energy. When a body is moving through the quantum medium, more of the oscillations in the body are moving in the direction of the body's motion through the medium and fewer are moving in the opposite direction, and there is a net blueshift of this internal energy. Every change in the body's velocity requires a corresponding shift of the balance of this large internal energy of the body, and this shift requires a force and work, resulting in the body's apparent "inertia."


4. What causes the observed Doppler shifts in the light from a source when the observer's velocity toward or away from the source changes? According to orthodox theory, the speed of the light relative to the observer does not change when the observer's velocity toward or away from the source changes. And the physical characteristics of the photons emitted by the source are not affected by changing the observer's velocity. Consequently, there are no physical causes for the observed Doppler shifts according to orthodox theory.
Brief qm view explanation: Changing the observer's motion toward or away from the source of light changes the speed of the photons relative to the observer and changes the rate of round-trip energy exchange and rate of time in the observer's system. These changes exactly account for the observed Doppler shifts.


5. What causes the observed change in rate of a clock or any other physical process when the relative velocity between the observer and process is changed? An example is the small slowing and speeding up of a millisecond pulsar as Earth's velocity away from the pulsar changes due to Earth's rotation and revolution. Special relativity correctly predicts the changes in pulsar rate but does not explain what is causing the changes.
Brief qm view explanation: Earth's rotation and revolution constantly change the observer's velocity through the quantum medium, which changes the speeds of light, energy-exchange rate, and the standards of time and distance in the observer's system. These physical changes on Earth combine to create exactly the observed virtual oscillation in pulsar rate in spite of the pulsar's steady rate. This is strong evidence that the qm view explanation for this oscillation in pulsar rates is correct.


6. What causes the observed contraction (i.e. foreshortening) of a body when the relative velocity between observer and body is increased by changing the observer's velocity? Relativity theory correctly predicts the observed contraction and attributes the contraction to the increase in relative velocity between the body and observer.
Brief qm view explanation: The physical dimensions of the body do not change when the observer's velocity changes, but a virtual contraction of the body occurs due to physical changes in the observer's frame of reference due to its changed velocity. The changes in the observer's system include changes in clock rates, clock asynchronizations, lengths in the direction of the velocity change, and the speeds of light.


7. What causes the observed contraction of a body when the relative velocity between observer and body is increased by changing the body's velocity? As in 6. above, relativity theory correctly predicts the observed contraction and attributes the contraction to the increase in relative velocity between the body and observer.
Brief qm view explanation: The change in velocity of the body changes the length of the body in the direction of velocity change. The observed length (by an observer who assumes constant light speed, c) will decrease although the body's actual (i.e. absolute) length will increase if the body's absolute velocity through the qm decreases as a result of the velocity change. The qm view shows that so-called "length contraction" and "time dilation" can be real or virtual or a combination of real and virtual, and that the physical causes of these phenomena are obscured by relativity theory which suggests that the phenomena are caused by the change in relative velocity between the observer and body.


8. Why does the observed mass of a body change when the body's velocity relative to the observer changes? Relativity theory does not answer this question but does specify the observed change in a body's mass for any given change in the relative velocity between the body and the observer. For example, relativity theory correctly specifies the increase in mass of electrons accelerated to high speeds in particle accelerators. The observed mass increase is attributed to the relative motion between the particles and the observer. The theory cannot explain why changing an observer's velocity relative to a body causes the mass of the body to appear to change. The theory leads to the belief that a body has no absolute mass because observers in different reference frames cannot agree on the mass.
Brief qm view explanation: The quantum medium view permits observers in different reference frames to agree on a body's absolute mass when they specify the quantum medium reference frame. [The reference frame in which the cosmic microwave background is most isotropic is a logical choice, and the meter, second, and kilogram for this reference frame can be considered the absolute standards of distance, time, and mass for the universe.] A body's mass increases when its velocity through the quantum medium increases. The mass increase is due to a net blueshift of the great amount of energy oscillating within the body. The qm view shows why relativity theory causes observers moving relative to one another to disagree on a body's mass and why increasing a body's velocity relative to an observer causes an observed "relativistic" increase in mass of the body -- even when the body's velocity through the medium is decreased (but increased relative to the observer) and there is a corresponding decrease in the absolute mass of the body.


9. Why do bodies appear to attract one another as specified by Newton's law of gravity? Orthodox particle theory posits the existence of a gravity force particle, the graviton, that results in the observed gravitational attraction between bodies. So far, gravitons have not been detected. And according to general relativity theory, the observed gravitational attraction between bodies is due to the curvature of spacetime caused by the bodies.
Brief qm view explanation: The second of the qm view's two premises says that every large concentration of mass/energy (e.g. Earth, stars) reduces the rate of round-trip energy exchange through the quantum medium in its vicinity. The rate is a simple function of the mass of the mass/energy, the distance from the mass/energy, and Newton's gravitational constant, as shown on page 28 of this website. The gradients of this energy exchange rate around massive bodies exactly account for the observed gravitational attraction between bodies such as the sun, Earth, moon, and people. The gradients cause internal energy exchange imbalances in a body that result in a net internal force in the body, which creates the appearance of gravitational attraction.