Geocentricism, the Length of the Day, and a Non-Rigid Earth

[trth_skr]

Liberian:

trth_skr,

Now we are moving from science into theology. This really would better suit a new thread; this thread is about the length of the day and the non-rigidity of the earth.

This is a Catholic site.

Liberian:

…The geocentric theory was a good starting point; the Copernican solar system was better and the Keplerian better still, because its theory explained more motions with fewer equations. Newtonian mechanics is close enough for many calculations, as Geocentricism is also close enough for many calculations. In my job several years ago I calculated air vehicle trajectories assuming a flat earth. But I would never hold that the round-earth theory is wrong because of it.

Actually, the Corpenican theory was posited as being more accurate, but actually required 90 more epicycles than the Ptolemaic to be as accurate.

The Keplerian is much simpler, but unmodified is not nearly as accurate as Ptolemy’s.

Today, the Keplerian with many, many epicycles (i.e., Fourier Transforms) is very accurate because of all the curve fitting. A modified Tychonian (Geocentric) with Fourier transforms would be just as accurate.

Liberian:

The questions about what coordinate system is stationary and what atoms are considered to be part of the earth are relevant only if Geocentricism is taken to be a final and completely accurate theory, more accurate than general relativity and the Big Bang theory. If a proponent is going to make that sort of claim, he needs to be ready to answre that sort of question.

Actually, they are relevant in general. I was trying to get some definition around what we were defining!

What a Geocentrist needs to do is to convey the truthfulness of the fact that heliocentrism and acentrism are by no means proven.In fact there has been no demonstration to date that the earth moves or rotates on its axis. This is the issue.

And it does matter. Pragmatism is not the ultimate philosophy. The Catholic Church has retreated greatly over the centuries over the supposed error over Geocentrism. Well it is centuries later, and those who claim to have proven Geocentrism wrong have yet to actually demonstrate this.

This is the point.