Re: In an RDBMS, what does "Data" mean?

"Anthony W. Youngman" <wol_at_thewolery.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:xUI7+jDCE$qAFwdA_at_thewolery.demon.co.uk...

> I did a "google" on "mercury orbit newton relativity", and it gave me a
> load of good pages. About the first one I looked at (the third or so it
> found) gave me rather bigger figures than yours for precession (although
> it did have a few problems...)

Yes. The figure are considerably bigger because the precession of Mercury is for the most part, due to
attraction from the other planents. The only figures I quoted were the "excess" (that is, non Newtonian)
observed precession of Mercury.

> (The website I looked at said the precession was more like 540
> arcseconds a year, but it also said there were 360 arcseconds in a
> degree, so I think it has mislaid a few powers of ten somewhere :-)

There are 3600 arcseconds in a degree.

As far as the connection to this forum goes, I think the discussion in here reminds me more of the discussions between Simplicio, Salviati, and Sagredo in Galileo's writings.

I can just hear Simplicio saying something like:

<quote>
Aristotle's axioms are self evident, and his logic is irrefutable. Therefore his conclusions are correct.

Therefore, if you report experimental observations that contradict his conclusions, then you are either lying or you have been misled by your infatuation with experimental observation.

If you had the proper respect for your betters you would restrain yourself from making such rash claims, in contradiction of the wisdom of the ancients. And if you had proper training in philosophical thinking, you would be able to confirm Aritstotle's work for yourself, instead of all this nonsense about taking cannonball up to the top of a tower and dropping them.

</quote> Received on Thu May 20 2004 - 17:02:32 CEST