MIT Research Priorities? Ask President Reif

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Thank you for inviting us to continue the conversation on the importance of basic research from you webinar of March 14, 2013. I watched it with great interest. I appreciate your comments that the MIT faculty determines the research to be conducted at MIT. I also appreciate that you help choose the faculty.

MIT research topics address global problems and educational initiatives like MITx and edX enabling learning worldwide. The Institute is collaborating with graduate institutes in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Russia. Alumni live in 163 countries. Given that, what initiatives will allow MIT to expand its global impact? Alternatively, what would be the even more important issues in terms of MIT’s reputation and her duty to maintain the leadership of the US in Sciences?

MIT’s global impact is based on foresight of correct knowledge. MIT’s reputation is built with correct results of hard work by generations of MIT scientists, who have good track records of not following the errors of others blindly.

However, a great reputation is difficult to build but can be ruined due to carelessness of one generation. Unfortunately, the case of Princeton University on general relativity is such an example.

Two basic errors of Einstein have been uncovered:
1. Error - Einstein’s equation has a dynamic solution. This error was conjectured by Gullstrand, the Chairman (1922-1929) of the Nobel Committee for Physics.
2. Error - Einstein’s equation E = mc2 is unconditionally valid. This crucial error has been proven directly by experiments. In fact, surprisingly there is no proof for this conjecture since Einstein failed this attempt from 1905-1909. The “proof” of Einstein for the case of electromagnetic energy was based on the invalid assumption that the photons have only electromagnetic energy.
These two errors are the basic errors of modern physics that prevent progress in fundamental physics.

Two basic principles:
1. Einstein’s equivalence principle is misinterpreted by almost all textbooks and references except Einstein’s.
2. Einstein’s covariance principle is incorrect. This error is also related to the incorrect notion of general gauge invariance advocated by Yang-Mills, and Shaw, as pointed out by S. Weinberg.
One invalid adaptation is of the notion of distance of Reimannian geometry. Such an adaptation is invalid in physics as pointed out by Whitehead. Lo also pointed out that such an adaptation, whose justifications were based on Einstein’s invalid application of special relativity, leads to theoretical inconsistency and disagreements with observations.

All the above errors are either originated from or advocated by Princeton University. Although these errors were identified by Morrison and Lo, their affirmation of this was still not accepted by the Wheeler School. These errors were also adapted by the 1993 Nobel Committee for Physics, whose strong influence on these errors has been an obstacle to the progress of physics. MIT should take this to mind on the responsibility of a reputable institute. A main problem is that many physicists do not have adequate background in pure mathematics, and they also failed in their communication with pure mathematicians.

Having a good background in pure mathematics for physics, Lo managed to show all such errors can be illustrated with mathematics at the undergraduate level. So, the errors are no longer in doubt or arguable as Lo reported to Dr. Bertschinger, Dr. Hockfield and President Reif with letters and published papers. This is dramatically different from the situation in 1993.

MIT is deeply involved in these errors in her open courses phys. 8.033 and Phys. 8.962. So, MIT can no longer be neutral and thus must make clear her positions on these issues. This will further advance or break the excellent reputation of MIT.

More important, the rectification of these errors led to the discovery of the charge-mass interaction. In turn, this led to the recognition that Einstein’s conjecture of unification between electromagnetism and gravitation is valid; whereas other theorists failed. Moreover, this would explain new phenomena and possibly solve insurmountable current puzzles in modern physics. Therefore, in comparison with these, all other projects are insignificant.

These findings have been well documented in professional journals as well as brought to your attention personally. Former President Hockfield recognized the importance of these issues when we reported them to her and took the precaution of informing these to all the VIP of MIT. However, it is a puzzle that no clear continuation is in process in such a direction. Since these problems were reported to MIT in 2007, MIT Alumni would expect that MIT give answers to clarify this matter soon. MIT Alumni expect MIT to maintain the leadership of the US in sciences, even though the Princeton University failed in this case.

What plans do MIT have to take the lead in studying these important findings? It is not clear how MIT is currently addressing these issues.

There are applications for these discoveries in many disciplines including energy and defense -- it would seem timely to start this research. I have read about other scientific discoveries over the centuries (Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything 2003) that have often been disregarded or overlooked for more than 50 years. It is clear that I have been advised about this research from my association with the MIT-educated Dr. C. Y. Lo. I have been reading and editing his papers for the past four years, have talked to many physicists and have not found anyone who could explain any problems to me with these findings.

I request that MIT, the institution best suited world-wide to research these discoveries, conduct this vital research and engage the researcher, Dr. C. Y. Lo on this while he is still ALIVE!

Best regards,
Sharon Burns Holcombe
M Sc., MIT Sloan School, 1974

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Among the enlightening answers provided by President Reif, one can select the following: Speak with one Voice, referring to the large community of the MIT Alumni. Educate the public not familiar with Research, so that knowledgeable members of the Congress get elected. Research priorities should be energy, water, biotechnology, food. Water is perhaps the foremost theme to be the object of Research, because it is relatively scarce and it is a requirement in most of the projects. Humanities and Social Sciences are basic for the Learning Process and Research. Priorities for Research are set by the Faculty, the President coordinates research objectives that they can be put into an umbrella like system to promote effectiveness, that is, to seek joint efforts in the Research Projects from the MIT schools and faculty. It is important that new legislation be adopted by the legislative body, the Congress, to favor Research by the Universities. Also, President Reif is not afraid that the research projects be diluted internationally, instead he visualizes exchange among some of the 195 nations of the world. Strength will come from joint efforts. The results of Research are made known by the same sources of information, basic data is generally available.

These comments originate from Clemente Pereda, former course XI, Sanitary Engineering, MS 1955, Civil Engineer from R.P.I. 1952, a Veteran of the Korean War, 1952 to 1954. A resident of Venezuela.

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When discussing MIT's success in interdisciplinary research, it's required by MIT lore to give appropriate credit to the architect of the Cambridge campus, William Welles Bosworth 1889, for his decision to hook all the buildings together.

The decision, so the story goes, traces to the unfortunate loss of his overcoat while a student at the former Boston campus, and his having to endure the upcoming Boston winter without one. He then vowed that if he ever became a famous architect and got to design a new MIT, he would connect all the buildings together. And he did.

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