I. BACKGROUND

In 1887 theoretical physics was given a very difficult task: how should scientists explain the observed fact that a supposedly moving source of light emits light that has the same wavelength in all directions? This was the outcome of the Michelson-Morley Experiment of 1887 (ref: https://doi.org/10.2475/ajs.S3-34.203.333; hereinafter referred to as the M-M Expt).

Though it conflicts in many respects with "common sense," the theory of special relativity seemed to provide an answer to the outcome of the M-M Expt (for a quick review of Special relativity, you could see https://en.wikipedia.org/specialrelativity). The theory of special relativity dogmatically asserts that light propagates away from its source at the same speed in all directions, regardless of the "absolute motion" of the source. So, assuming that the frequency of emitted light is the same in all directions, special relativity accounts for the observation that the wavelength of emitted light is the same in all directions.

II. A NEW UNDERSTANDING

Most events in nature can be understood in more than one way. A new way to understand the outcome of the Michelson-Morley Experiment has finally been suggested. In general, the wavelength of an electromagnetic wave is calculated by dividing the speed of propagation of the wave by its frequency:

Prior to the M-M Expt, most scientists were in agreement with the "common sense" view of a moving source of light. It was thought that the speed at which emitted light waves propagate away from their source depends on the angle between the absolute velocity of the source and the direction in which the light is emitted. For a light source moving with absolute velocity " v," the speed at which light emitted at angle theta with the absolute velocity propagate away from the source would be given by:

The assumtion that all emitted light has the frequency of the source causes immediate problems with regard to conceptualization. If propagation speed of emitted light varies with direction, but the frequency of the emitted light is always the frequency of the source, the wavelength of emitted light should vary with direction in which the light is emitted. This was expected, but not observed, in the M-M Expt. To force emitted light to always have the same wavelength regardless of direction, the theory of special relativity issues the dogmatic statement that a source of light, even though moving, emits light in all directions that propagates away from the source at the same speed.

But it is not necessarily true that light emitted by a moving source must always have the frequency of the source. As a wave propagates through a mechanical medium, such as through water, phase is conserved. But this is not necessarily true for electromagnetic waves. Phase might change in an electromagnetic wave as it propagates. This new idea will be referred to as "undulatory propagation." The undulatory propagation of an electromagnetic wave changes the frequency of the wave, so that frequency might be given by:

III. CONCLUSIONS

Scientists should now reconsider their understanding of the M-M Expt. The two theories that seem able to account for the outcome of this experiment are special relativity and undulatory propagation. Scientists should assign equal initial potential to each of these two theories, and then proceed to a conclusion with regard to potential for being the theory being more likely to be actually true. The older theory, special relativity, should be given no preference because it has already been accepted by most scientists. Since undulatory propagation has only recently been proposed, it should be considered as having equal initial potential for being true as the intial potential of special relativity has.