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Why God Doesn't Exist

    2.0   Can motion be rectilinear?

    There two ways to use the word rectilinear. Rectilinear could refer to a static alignment or to motion. A series
    of footprints in the sand can be said to be rectilinear. The itinerary of a ball can also be said to be rectilinear. In
    both cases, we absolutely need to compare the trace against something that is straight. In order for the
    footprints to be rectilinear, we absolutely need to place a straight edge next to them. With respect to the
    itinerary of the ball, the mathematicians conceptually do something similar. They plot the locations of the ball
    on a chart. If the trace is parallel to a straight line, they call it a 'straight line,' by which they really mean 'a
    rectilinear trajectory'  (Fig 2).
A mathematician confuses
straight with rectilinear

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        Copyright © by Nila Gaede 2008
As soon as I
heard the shots, I
flew as fast and
as rectilinearly
as I could!
I don't know about
rectilinear, but those
hunters certainly
can't shoot straight!
They barely nicked
my left leg.

    1.0   Straight or rectilinear?

    Before we can have a rational discussion about lines, we must first agree on our definitions. The purpose of
    this preliminary exercise is not to define words for the sake of defining or in order to protect our religion. The
    terms we use to communicate ideas must be precise if want the other person to have a crisp understanding of
    our ideas. The presenter should use the key words that make or break his theory consistently. Only then do
    we have a scientific (i.e., rational) definition.

    The word I would like to analyze and define is the adjective straight. What is the scientific definition of
    straight?  

    One way to zero in on a definition you can use consistently is to start by looking at the properties or attributes
    we usually associate with a word. For instance, straight seems to refer to a physical object that is rigid,
    meaning, made of a single piece. In order for a geometric figure to be straight it cannot possibly be made of
    parts, for how would we conceptualize a series of components being straight otherwise. Is a series of tracks
    straight? Would you have to compare it against a straight line to prove that it is straight? Indeed, we can
    absolutely guarantee that they aren't. A series of rocks can at best be aligned rectilinearly. For the purposes of
    Science, if we are to use it consistently, an adjective may only be used in the context of objects. A word that is
    used to qualify motion or alignment is classified as an adverb. A table may be straight. A series of tables may
    at best be aligned rectilinearly. There is no such thing as ONE rectilinear table in Science.

    When we consider parts, we are not alluding to a single object and qualifying the whole with an adjective. We
    are instead referring to how the individual components of an object are lined up vis à vis each other. We are
    not saying that the object is straight. We are saying that the pieces are lined up parallel to straight:
    rectilinearly. For this we must compare the alignment of the components to something that is straight. Hence,
    the definition of straight precedes the definition of rectilinear. The rule is: scientific adjectives always before
    scientific adverbs.

Fig. 1   Straight versus rectilinear
The adjective straight has at least two requirements. One is that
it must qualify a physical object. The other one is that this object
must be continuous: made of a single piece. For the purposes of
Science, rectilinear is an adverb. This word cannot be used to
qualify objects. It may only be used to modify a series of objects
or displacement of one object. The individual is in effect placing a
straight edge next to a series of objects or locations.

    However, in Physics, we cannot really get away with this. What the mathematicians are alluding to is a
    movie. So are they going to unroll the film and spread the frames side by side in a given direction? Is this
    what they mean by a straight line?

    In the real world, the Earth successively changes location with respect to every bit of matter in the Universe.
    Although you seem to be standing still, you are actually traveling quite fast: 30 kilometers (18 miles) per
    second! That's the speed of the Earth around the Sun. This means that the earthly ball also changes
    location with respect to every object in the Universe. So what is the ball traveling 'straight' against? The
    Sun? The Moon? The Andromeda Galaxy?

    Well, the mathematicians are aware of this, but they couldn't live with so much disorder. One fine day they
    decided to hammer a stake in the middle of space and assign it a fancy scientific-sounding name such as
    'frame of reference.' So whenever a mathematician talks about a 'straight line,' he really means a rectilinear
    itinerary. The mathematician is talking about a series of dots he plotted on a graph. Each one of these dots
    is not really a dot but a location, the location occupied by the ball at a particular moment as it went from here
    to there. This 'straight line' implicitly invokes a coordinate system known as a frame of reference. Without
    his goal posts, the mathematician is totally lost. He cannot measure his centimeters and miles. He cannot
    talk about 'straight.' In his tiny mind, he cannot even talk about Physics.

    However, in the real world, there is no such thing as a rectilinear itinerary. Both, the 'straight line' and the
    'frame of reference' are surrealistic concoctions of Mathematics. The mathematician in effect freezes the
    entire Universe and allows only his ball (and hopefully himself) to move. The ball can thus move rectilinearly
    with respect to at least one straight edge because everything is stand still. This enables the mathematician
    to take his measurements.

    A perfect analogy for the ludicrous 'straight line' and 'frame of reference' of Mathematical Physics is an
    episode of The Twilight Zone titled 'A kind of a stopwatch.' The guy uses a watch to stop time, but for
    unspecified reasons, he is the only one free to move about. Yeah? No kidding?

    In Physics, an object can move rectilinearly only if it is the sole entity in the Universe, in which case,
    ironically, motion is undefined. Motion is defined as two or more locations as opposed to two or more
    positions of an object. This is yet another example of the irreconcilable differences between Math and
    Physics.

    If we now factor that replacing locations with dots and trajectories with lines has little to do with Science,
    the entire foundation of Mathematical Physics disintegrates like a house of cards. The mathematicians
    inherited the amusing habit of substituting the concept location with the object dot from traditional religions.

    And just to throw another one in, if the mathematicians are alluding to motion, they can at best qualify their
    line not as continuous, but as incessant: the incessant motion of a dot.


    3.0   How is straight different than curved

    So let's distinguish between objects and motion in order to use our terms consistently (i.e., scientifically).
    We will use the adjective straight to qualify the architectures of objects and the adverb rectilinear to qualify
    how things are aligned. Unlike in ordinary speech and religion, the word rectilinear may only be used as an
    adverb for the purposes of Science.

    For the purposes of Science, it is also insufficient for that which is straight to be continuous. It must have
    direction as well. If the edge of an object is continuous but does not have direction, it is known as a curve.

    straight (adj.): A continuous edge with direction. Straight is a specific type of edge.

    curved (adj.): A continuous edge which lacks direction.

    rectilinear (adv): 1. A series of footprints or marks which run parallel to a straight edge.
    2. A series of locations occupied by one object which, when plotted, run parallel to a
    straight edge. Rectilinear motion is surrealistic because it tacitly assumes that there is
    a frame of reference (i.e., that the entire Universe has momentarily stopped moving).

    Curved edges are implicitly 'two-dimensional.' They necessarily encroach upon a second dimension. From
    an observer's perspective, all curved shapes have width and height.

    Contrast these definitions against the ones offered by the mathematicians:

    “ A line can be described as an ideal zero-width, infinitely long, perfectly straight
       curve (the term curve in mathematics includes 'straight curves') containing an
       infinite number of points.s').” [1]

    In the religion of Mathematical Physics, straight and curved are synonyms. So what have we learned? How
    can the jury understand the theory.


    4.0   Conclusions

    Straight is an adjective and as such belongs exclusively to Physics  – only physical objects can be
    conceived as being straight. Mathematics has no use for adjectives. What quantitative meaning can the
    qualitative word straight have? As a rule, if ever you hear a mathematician use an adjective in his
    presentation, you can tell him in his face that he is an idiot! A mathematician who uses adjectives summarily
    converts the logical discipline of Mathematics into a religion known as Mathematical Physics.

Fig. 1   Straight versus rectilinear
The adjective straight has at least two requirements. One is that it must
qualify a physical object. The other one is that this object must be
continuous: made of a single piece. The adverb rectilinear alludes to a
series of objects or locations. These must be compared against a
straight edge or line.


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