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    Albert Einstein's interpretation of the failed experiment was unique.  He thought there might be some other explanation for the data, irregardless of the existence of ether.  His explanation required for the possibility that if light remained constant, then both space and time must be changing in a rubbery fashion.  In other words, time could dilate or augment while matter contracted or diminished.  Interpreting the experimental data in light of this theory, the results made sense, but they also implied the existence of a flexible space-time continuum that could shrink or stretch.  In this continuum, neither time nor space could exist alone as they were immutably combined into a single fabric.  In an instant, the whole universe changed and the concept of relativity was born.

    Einstein first presented his special theory of relativity with no inertial forces, which simply defines the fabric of the space-time continuum. For our purposes,  just imagine a large beach towel stretched out at its four corners and floating above the ground.  This  canvas represents a piece of space-time.

    Later Einstein developed the general theory of relativity. This theory dealt with gravity and inertial fields.  In simple terms, if you place a bowling ball on your imaginary floating fabric of space-time, the mass of the ball warps the fabric.  Part of the fabric stretches into a well or saddle shape conforming itself to the shape of the ball.  Likewise, if you now place another ball, say a cannon ball, on the fabric; it too will warp the continuum according to its mass.  If the two balls get close enough to each other they will affect each other.  Their space-time warps interact, reinforcing or opposing each other,  just as waves interact when you drop two stones near each other in the water.  This leads to the idea that gravity is not a force but a resultant of two mathematical vectors interacting in the continuum.

    From Einstein's point of view, Newton is not wrong.  He's just not completely right.  Newton's 17th century math still works in the 20th century, but Einstein's theories can explain WHY it works and give a clearer picture of WHAT is really going on in the universe. What has all this got to do with music?

Music Epistemology

    When I look at music history I see two things going on:  the evolution of human consciousness and the science and innovation of tuning systems.  Music knowledge and theory predates Pythagoras, but it wasn't until 524 BC that the science of acoustics was defined. Pythagoras made the first known scientific attempts to understand sound as acoustics.  From his experiments,  he developed the basis for tuning which is used to this day.