ization ▁procedure ▁based ▁on ▁light ▁signals . ▁He ▁assumed ▁that ▁ 2 ▁obser vers ▁A ▁and ▁B , ▁which ▁are ▁moving ▁in ▁the ▁a ether , ▁synchron ize ▁their ▁clock s ▁by ▁optical ▁signals . ▁Since ▁they ▁believe ▁themselves ▁to ▁be ▁at ▁rest , ▁they ▁must ▁consider ▁only ▁the ▁transmission ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁signals ▁and ▁then ▁cross - reference ▁their ▁observations ▁to ▁examine ▁whether ▁their ▁clock s ▁are ▁synchron ous . ▁However , ▁from ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁view ▁of ▁an ▁observer ▁at ▁rest ▁in ▁the ▁a ether , ▁the ▁clock s ▁are ▁not ▁synchron ous ▁and ▁indicate ▁the ▁local ▁time ▁. ▁But ▁because ▁the ▁moving ▁obser vers ▁do ▁not ▁know ▁anything ▁about ▁their ▁movement , ▁they ▁do ▁not ▁recognize ▁this . ▁So , ▁contrary ▁to ▁Lor ent z , ▁Po inc ar é - defined ▁local ▁time ▁can ▁be ▁measured ▁and ▁indicated ▁by ▁clock s . ▁Therefore , ▁in ▁his ▁recommendation ▁of ▁Lor ent z ▁for ▁the ▁Nobel ▁Prize ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 2 , ▁Po inc ar é ▁argued ▁that ▁Lor ent z ▁has ▁convin cing ly ▁explained ▁the ▁negative ▁outcome ▁of ▁the ▁a ether ▁dr ift ▁experiments ▁by ▁invent ing ▁the ▁" dim in ished " ▁or ▁" local " ▁time , ▁i . e . ▁a ▁time ▁coordinate ▁in ▁which ▁two ▁events ▁at ▁different ▁places ▁could ▁appear ▁as ▁simultane ous , ▁although ▁they ▁are ▁not ▁simultane ous ▁in ▁reality . ▁ ▁Like ▁Po inc ar é , ▁Alfred ▁Buch erer ▁( 1 9 0 3 ) ▁believed ▁in ▁the