Does special relativity theory tell us anything new about space and time?

TL;DR

This paper argues that special relativity offers no fundamentally new insights into the geometry of spacetime compared to pre-relativistic theories, merely rebranding existing concepts with different properties.

Contribution

It demonstrates that special relativity's claims about space and time are essentially identical to traditional pre-relativistic statements, challenging the notion of novelty.

Findings

Special relativity does not alter the traditional concepts of space and time.

Relativity and Lorentz theory are equivalent in describing spacetime and physical objects.

Special relativity's claims about reality are identical to pre-relativistic statements.

Abstract

It will be shown that, in comparison with the pre-relativistic Galileo-invariant conceptions, special relativity tells us nothing new about the geometry of spacetime. It simply calls something else "spacetime", and this something else has different properties. All statements of special relativity about those features of reality that correspond to the original meaning of the terms "space" and "time" are identical with the corresponding traditional pre-relativistic statements. It will be also argued that special relativity and Lorentz theory are completely identical in both senses, as theories about spacetime and as theories about the behavior of moving physical objects.