Luncheon Encounter

I often meet Mike for lunch at Panera Bread, normally arriving before he does. I was standing in line when the man with a white mustache behind me asked how fast the line moved. I told him fairly fast as there were three cashiers. Just then three in front of us left to go elsewhere so he said it that made it move faster. Then he jokingly asked the others in front of us if they wouldn't like to go elsewhere too. (None did.) When I got my food I selected a table for four. When he got his he asked to join me. (It was rather crowded.) I agreed, of course. He was attending a conference for teachers of physics. He was a retired theoretical physicist from the University of Arizona. I had been wondering how they knew the speed of light and how they knew it was constant and took the opportunity to ask him. The speed can be measured and the original way used mirrors on mountain tops. Maxwell's equations told them it was constant. I didn't get an answer for the reason why it is the same for all observers. Mike joined us then and on hearing the man's occupation, asked me if I had asked the man my questions, which I just had. Mike introduced himself and the man said they called him J D. Mike told them about his work in statistics for the social sciences in which J D showed considerable interest.

Later I looked for him on google. After a couple of false starts I used "physics faculty" with "University of Arizona" which gave a list from which I picked out J D Garcia. From this I located several citations including two which included a picture verifying it was the correct identification.

Morning Coffee Thoughts

I'm disappointed in Why e = mc sqr? book. There is hand waving on how we know speed of light to so many places and how we know it is constant. I have an accumulation of books to finish. One needs to go back to library. To-do's now include call Maynard House and call
Eisenstein's office for review of meds. I broke three of the short-stem glasses on card table so returned the rest of glasses to cabinet. Small refrigerator is almost too small. I need to use camcorder now that I have it. I'm quite pleased with it so far. If time is not fixed and distance is not fixed, how can speed = distance/time be constant except by definition. Distance = speed x time. Time = distance/speed. Which is the independent variable? "Constant" is a synonym for "fixed." Which of the three statements do we say is true by definition? It's been too long since I have talked to Phyllis. I'm here rather than pulling more books out of my basement because Anna is coming to clean. I'm overdue to sort coupons. The problem with doing anything is that it keeps me from doing something else, Barbara Sher would call me a scanner. Get more exercise. Practice piano. Work on pictures. Blog. I checked on pith helmets (safari hats). The less expensive ones are only sold by the dozen. I wish Word Pad had spell check.