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Ernst Mach Doppler Effect Experiment
In physics Ernst Mach made great contributions. His first major contribution is when he developed an apparatus to prove the legitimacy of the Doppler effect. Where the frequency and pitch of a sound wave changes relative to the observer. Mach is regarded as one of the first to bring to the forefront the possibilities of studying a star's light movement. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Mar 2019) Ernst Mach -
Ernst Mach & The Mach Number
In 1865 he published an article about light stimulus of the eye and is credited for discovering lateral inhibition, a visual illusion that bears his name Mach bands. In 1885 he detailed supersonic motion and is credited with the concept of the Mach number, which is a quantifiable way to measure the speed of an object compared to the speed of sound. Furthermore, he was a pioneer in the usage of high speed photographic techniques for scientific purposes.
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Ernst Mach Philosophical Contributions
In philosophy of science he is credited with being a precursor to logical positivism, the movement of verifiability through observation or logic and an anti-methaphysical attitude. He is also attributed with giving science a biological purpose. Mach described it as a tool to better orient oneself and its function is to organize thoughts and facts. He occupied a Chair in the History of Philosophy at Vienna University until he suffered a stroke and retired shortly thereafter. -
Ernst Mach Legacy
"Mach is best known as a positivist who influenced Logical Positivism, a philosopher of physics who influenced Einstein, and an empiricist who denied the reality of atoms." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2019). However, in philosophy he is best known for influencing the Vienna Circle, a group of philosophers and scientist that embraced logical empiricism early in the 20th century.
