scientific formula.


Defenders of the Special Relativity faith are especially
fond of telling opponents of their space-time fairy tales
that they do not know the difference between coordinates
and magnitudes.  

That may often be so, but the fault lies ultimately with 
SR dogma. The Lorentz-Einstein transformations cannot 
possibly be 'just coordinates', which is the interpre-
tation required to support the many sideshow carnival acts
with which the SR faithful bedazzle the public, and establish
their moral and intellectual superiority.

If I get in my car and drive steadily for a few hours at 50 
kilometers per hour, is 50t the distance I travel? 

Of course not. The last time my hours-counting 'just coord-
inates' clock was set to zero was when Zeno first reported 
one of his paradoxes to Parmenides. 

That was a long time ago,  so my t is not useful for such 
purposes unless you also use my clock to established the starting 
time, perhaps t0,  and use the formula 50(t-t0) to calculate the 
distance. 

In any case, my t is even then not 'just a coordinate' because
it always represents particular elapsed times that can be
used in the (t-t0) form to calculate perfectly good time
intervals (elapsed times).

Alternatively, I could (re)set my clock to zero at the start
of some meaningful time interval, in which case my t shows a 
scientifically perfect current and/or end time. 

In which case, the Lorentz-Einstein t'=(t-vx/cc)/g is a function 
of an elapsed time interval (not 'just a coordinate') and a time 
interval (-vx/cc; the interval amount the t' clock is being 
screwed up at time t) and thus cannot be 'just a coordinate' 
since neither of the independent variables is such a 'just' thing. 
{Their meaning is shown below, step-by-step.]


If it takes me 50 minutes to cross the Interstate highway,
was x/50 my velocity crossing it?

Of course not.  The origin of all my axes is at the very
spot where Zeno first presented his first paradox to 
Parmenides. That makes my x equal a couple of thousands of
miles, plus, and is not useful for such purposes unless 
you establish the starting x value, perhaps x0, and use the
formula (x-x0)/50 to calculate my velocity.  

In any case,  even then my x is not 'just a coordinate' 
because it always repesents particular distance intervals
that can always be used in the (x-x0) form for any and every
scientific purose.

Alternatively, I could move my x-axis origin to the starting
(zero) point of some meaningful distance, in which case my x 
shows a scientifically perfect current and/or end distance.

In which case, the Lorentz-Einstein x'=(x-vt)/g is a function 
of a current/ending distance interval (not 'just a coordinate') 
and a distance interval (-vt; the interval amount the x' axis
is being screwed up at time t) and thus cannot be 'just a coordinate' 
since neither of the independent variables is such a 'just' thing. 
{Their meaning is shown below, step-by-step.]