Group: sci.physics.electromag
From: maxwell
Date: Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:07 PM
Subject: Re: Fields are as real as we need them to be

On Mar 16, 3:18=A0pm, "FrediFizzx" wrote:
> "Benj" wrote in message
>
> news:67f2df34-094c-4197-9899-f04150ee6f38@a70g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
>
> > On Mar 16, 2:46 am, khrapko...@hotmail.com wrote:
> >> Dear Benj: What's the matter? What's the thread? Fields are obviously
> >> real and mathematics is an idea.
> >> Radi
>
> > Dear Radi,
> > Forces are obviously real and fields are a mathematical idea.
>
> (real force)/(real charge) =3D (real E field)
>
> The fact that we can use mathematics to successfully express the
> relationship doesn't matter. =A0If given the charge and value of the E
> field, you can calculate the real force. =A0I do believe one can buy
> electric field meters. ;-)
>
> Best,
>
> Fred Diether
> Co-moderater =A0sci.physics.foundations

Try again, Fred. Adding the word 'real' to your algebraic equation
does NOT make it real; but as a Platonist you can still believe in it.