Before we can determine whether speed affects an object’s mass, it would help if we begin by defining the
    word mass. You read about invariant mass, rest mass, relativistic mass, inertial mass, gravitational mass.
    How many types of masses are there? What is the reason for all of these qualifiers if mass is just mass?

    This is not going to be an easy task because the mathematicians have brainstormed many versions of
    what mass is or means and still they haven’t been able to give us a crisp definition. The fact that the
    experts have been ‘clarifying’ the meaning of this enigmatic word at least since the 50s should alert you to
    the fact that there are some problems with this enigmatic word. How can relativists be so certain of their
    theories and physical interpretations that invoke this parameter if they cannot even agree on a definition?
    We have mathematicians who don’t know what mass is but use it anyways, those that incongruously
    ‘prove’ mass, those who believe that an object can have any mass it wants to, and those who equate mass
    with matter:

    •        The ‘know-nothings’ of mass:

    “ What is mass? What is matter? General relativity does not provide an answer; in fact,
       it does not describe matter at all. Einstein used to say that the left-hand side of the field
       equations, describing the curvature of space-time, was granite, while the right-hand
       side, describing matter, was sand. Indeed, at this point we still do not know what matter
       and mass are.” [1]

    “ It is not good to introduce the concept of the mass M = m/(1-v2/c2)1/2 of a body for
       which no clear definition can be given.  It is better to introduce no other mass than ‘the
       rest mass’ m.” [A. Einstein letter to L. Barnett, 1948]

    [Okun favors removing relativistic and keeping rest mass. Rindler extols the need to
      retain relativistic mass. Hence, 50 years after Einstein made his plea, the experts are
      still arguing about this formidable definition.]

    “ The problem is simply that people are using two different definitions of mass.” [2]

    “ relativistic mass is not usually called the mass of a particle in contemporary physics so it is wrong
    to say the photon has mass in this way.  But you can say that the photon has relativistic mass if you
    really want to.” [3]  [Well...okay! If you say so. I guess that’s scientific enough!]

    •        The theorists of mass:

    “ a theory of mass.” [4]

    “ But have you ever wondered what, exactly is ‘mass’? ” (p. 23) [5]

    [Yes I have, but the idiots of Mathematics have never been able to tell me. Please enlighten
      me...]

     “ Mass can be measured in a couple of ways.” [6]

    [Can be measured? I thought you were going to tell me what mass is ! Blair and McNamara
     do not seem to understand the difference between a definition and a proof. They don’t
     define mass. They prove it! They are replying to a ‘what is’ question with a ‘how to’ answer.
     They are proposing an experiment (measurement) as a way to understand their definition
     retroactively. Then, they also wish you to believe that their definitions are ‘rigorous’ and
     that their theories are built on solid foundations.]

    •        The anything-goes mass:

    “ Virtual particles live for so short a time that Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle allows
       them to have any mass” [7] [8]

    [If all matter is made of atoms and all atoms have electrons with virtual particles buzzing
     around them, and each virtual photon can have any mass at any time, how can relativists
     assert that mass absolutely increases when an object travels a near-c?]

    •        Solid mass:

    “ mass is defined as the measure of how much matter an object or body contains –
       the total number of subatomic particles (electrons, protons and neutrons) in the
       object.” [9]

    “ The principle of energy conservation implies some interesting consequences for
       the fundamental structure of mass.  For example, if we hypothesize the existence
       of fundamental discrete particles of mass” [10]

    [Particles of mass??? Bartender! I'll have what he had!]

    “ to most people E=mc² is still just a bunch of letters and a number… it’s a very
       famous equation even though people don’t understand what the symbols mean…
       Basically it expresses the equivalence of two quantities that people previously didn’t
       know were connected - one is energy and the other is mass. So what it tells you is
       that energy has mass and that mass or matter if you like is a form of energy, and the
       fact that they’re connected through this equation means that you can convert the one
       into the other. Matter can be converted into energy and energy can be converted into
       matter, so that in a nutshell is what the equation is telling us.” [11]

    [It is troubling to discover that a prominent lecturer and renowned physicist never learned
     the fundamental concepts of Physics in school. In Physics, mass is not the same thing as
     matter. Anyone who confuses them is not a physicist. He is either a mathematician or a
     charlatan. I hope for his sake that it's the latter. Fooling is a sign of intelligence. Getting
     fooled is not.]

    There are so many different versions, interpretations, and explanations for the word mass today that the
    mathematicians no longer have a clue as to what this word really means or what they are talking about.
    Some of the proposals are so weird that I’m afraid that the next thing I’ll hear is talk of the shape of mass or
    of green mass or of mass that swims and flies. Why is this mysterious word so elusive? Let’s put it under
    the microscope and see if we can get to the bottom of the ‘matter.’
Adapted for the Internet from:

Why God Doesn't Exist
SR's massive definitions of mass
We measure
rest mass by
calculating it.
I have a theory of
relativistic mass you
may want to hear
about.
Did you know that the
Uncertainty Principle
allows an elephant to
have any mass it wants?
GUYS!  GUYS!
Let's get back
on track!
What is mass?



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