Eugene D. Zhiganov
Eugene D. Zhiganov | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Russian |
| Known for | Critique of the Lorentz transformation; aether ("physical vacuum") model |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
Eugene D. Zhiganov is a Russian author and independent researcher known for his critique of special relativity, in particular of the Lorentz transformation. He is listed in The Worldwide List of Dissident Scientists.
Ideas
On his website, Zhiganov argues that the Lorentz transformation is logically rather than merely mathematically flawed. He contends that its standard derivation uses identical notation for distinct physical quantities, and that a fully consistent treatment would require more independent variables (coordinates and time measurements) than the transformation admits. From this he argues that the relativity principle is undermined and that a physical medium — historically called the "ether" and, in his words, the "physical vacuum" — responsible for electromagnetic and gravitational interactions may still exist despite null results such as the Michelson–Morley experiment. He further speculates that rehabilitating the ether concept could enable "absolute speedometers" and new energy technologies.
These positions lie outside the accepted scientific consensus, in which the Lorentz transformation and special relativity are extensively confirmed by experiment.