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bluish something in neither case, and if I observe that the one
continuously emits steam whilst the other does not, then I shall
remain astonished and dissatisfied until I have discovered some
circumstance to which I can attribute the different behaviour of the
two pans.

Analogously, I seek in vain for a real something in classical
mechanics (or in the special theory of relativity) to which I can
attribute the different behaviour of bodies considered with respect to
the reference systems K and K1.*  Newton saw this objection and
attempted to invalidate it, but without success. But E. Mach recognsed
it most clearly of all, and because of this objection he claimed that
mechanics must be placed on a new basis. It can only be got rid of by
means of a physics which is conformable to the general principle of
relativity, since the equations of such a theory hold for every body
of reference, whatever may be its state of motion.


  Notes

*) The objection is of importance more especially when the state of

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In the first part of this book we were able to make use of space-time
co-ordinates which allowed of a simple and direct physical
interpretation, and which, according to Section 26, can be regarded
as four-dimensional Cartesian co-ordinates. This was possible on the
basis of the law of the constancy of the velocity of tight. But
according to Section 21 the general theory of relativity cannot
retain this law. On the contrary, we arrived at the result that
according to this latter theory the velocity of light must always
depend on the co-ordinates when a gravitational field is present. In
connection with a specific illustration in Section 23, we found
that the presence of a gravitational field invalidates the definition
of the coordinates and the ifine, which led us to our objective in the
special theory of relativity.

In view of the resuIts of these considerations we are led to the
conviction that, according to the general principle of relativity, the
space-time continuum cannot be regarded as a Euclidean one, but that
here we have the general case, corresponding to the marble slab with
local variations of temperature, and with which we made acquaintance
as an example of a two-dimensional continuum. Just as it was there
impossible to construct a Cartesian co-ordinate system from equal