Clarifying the Nature of Michaud’s Contribution and Addressing Oversimplification

Vaibhav Sunder’s comment, while poetic in tone, appears to misinterpret the core intent of Mr. André Michaud’s clarification. It is important to emphasize that Michaud’s contribution was not merely a linguistic clarification, but a reassertion of Einstein’s original physical and theoretical intent in the 1905 paper. His distinction reveals how modern retellings of Einstein’s postulates have abstracted away from their original scope and meaning—especially by shifting from emission-based descriptions of light to observer-invariant formulations devoid of mechanical grounding.

This has significant consequences for how relativity has been developed and interpreted since. Michaud’s effort encourages a theoretical return to physical principles that Einstein himself aligned with, rather than the more geometric and axiomatic structures that later dominated relativistic interpretation. In this light, Michaud’s work is not about semantics but about theoretical clarity, with direct implications for ongoing frameworks like ECM or synchronized kinematic-electromagnetic mechanics.

Furthermore, Vaibhav's statement that physics cannot be translated into intuitive, everyday language unless embedded in the "rhythms" of mathematics oversimplifies the relationship between formalism and understanding. While mathematics is undeniably the precise language of physics, its purpose is to model, not mystify. To suggest that physics can only be understood or expressed through mathematical rhythm risks reinforcing an elitist view that equates intellectual depth solely with mathematical articulation.

This tendency often leans into intellectual supremacy, which, if left unchecked, can shade into intellectual dishonesty—where genuine clarity and accessibility are sacrificed for technical intimidation. Intuition and language, when grounded in physical understanding, play a crucial role in both communicating and developing physical insight. History shows us that the greatest physicists—Einstein included—valued physical reasoning as much as mathematical formulation.

Let us not forget: equations alone do not yield understanding. It is the synthesis of meaning and mathematics that advances science.

Soumendra Nath Thakur

May 16, 2025