Re: is the magnetic field really moving?

On Jul 30, 2:02=A0pm, "Timo A. Nieminen" <t...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Wed, 30 Jul 2008, maxwell wrote:
> > On Jul 25, 12:27=A0am, Benj <bjac...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> >> On Jul 24, 4:46 pm, "Timo A. Nieminen" <t...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrote:
>
> >>> On Fri, 24 Jul 2008, phil-news-nos...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote:
> >>>> Is the magnetic field really moving if the magnets move but the
fiel=
d remains
> >>>> the same?
>
> >>> Personally, I'd say "no" (and more below on this), but it doesn't
mat=
ter
> >>> one way or the other - the physical effects (as far as we know) only
=
care
> >>> if the field _changes_.
>
> >> Personally, I'd say "yes" (and more below on this), but Timo is
> >> absolutely correct in saying that in the case of physical effects it
> >> doesn't matter. =A0In most cases you can start with an assumption of
> >> either field motion OR non-motion and the same answers seem to come
> >> out!
>
> > No problem if you work with em potentials (a la Lorenz); check C. J.
> > Carpenter.
> > In other words, the reality is the POTENTIAL to change the world, not
> > the mathematical intermediaries (fields in what?) that derive from
> > some quasi-statistical theory, such 'classical' EM.
>
> But already there are no problems, since the question is irrelevant to
> physical effects. But working with potentials doesn't even avoid the
> question; it just moves the question.
>
> New question: Is the vector potential really moving?
>
> --
> Timo Nieminen - Home page:http://www.physics.uq.edu.au/people/nieminen/
> E-prints:http://eprint.uq.edu.au/view/person/Nieminen,_Timo_A..html
> Shrine to
Spirits:http://www.users.bigpond.com/timo_nieminen/spirits.html

Your potential to change your job only travels with you in a
metaphorical sense. It is only entities that may move through space
independently over time.  Hence electrons etc are entities & they can
move through space.  Unless you are prepared to say that a field is an
entity (like a water wave) can you expect to say it moves
independently.  This type of discussion illustrates the problems that
occur when philosophy gets divorced from physics.