The case for inertia as a vacuum effect: A reply to Woodward and Mahood

The possibility of an extrinsic origin for inertial reaction forces has rec ently seen increased attention in the physical literature. Among theories o f extrinsic inertia, the two considered by the current work are (1) the hyp othesis that inertia is a reslult of gravitational interactions and (2) the hypothesis that inertia reaction forces ni ise from the interaction of mat erial particles with local fluctuations of the quantum vacuum. A recent art icle supporting the former and criticizing the latter is shown to contain s ubstantial errors.