From: helbig@asclothestro.multivax.de   
      
   > The LHC experiment tries to contradict SR in the sense that SR predicts   
   > length contraction. The issue is what exactly is meant with length   
   > contraction. Is it physical (like heat increases and cold decreases)   
   > yes or no.   
   > If it is physical than the LHC experiment should demonstrate this.   
      
   It is obviously not physical.  Instead of the trains running around the   
   track, we could have two observers circling around the track---at   
   different speeds.  What they will observe will be different.  Thus,   
   there is no physical contraction.  In SR with non-accelerated motion,   
   there is not even a way to tell who is "really" moving.  Length   
   contraction here is obviously an illusion.   
      
   > What you can also do is place a ring of rods on top of the disc,   
   > each fixed midway with at one point on the surface of the disc.   
   > Each rod touches two other rods.   
   > Now you can again turn the disc and ask the questions:   
   > 1. Will each rod always touch the two other rods or   
   > 2. will there appear a certain space between each rod.   
   > (If this is the case there is length contraction involved)   
      
   Do the same experiment with unaccelerated motion.  Do gaps appear or   
   not?  Make the rods alternately coloured, red and blue.  Which contract?   
   Replace the blue rods with empty space.  My claim: a length defined by   
   empty space behaves the same as a length defined by some physical   
   object.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)