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Another Brain Teaser.
- Thread starter Kyajae
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As I understand it, time starts slowing down at any velocity.Kyajae said:
However, the traveller himself doesn't perceive it. The observer perceives it in the traveller.
I never quite understood, what with relativity and stuff, how you define which is the traveller and which is the observer anyway.
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- 102
Look for the bouncing ball explanation.
Never mind, found one. try http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070513091536AAImNcf
Never mind, found one. try http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070513091536AAImNcf
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- 191
The bouncing ball explanations is, er, balls. All it proves is that the ball travels at different speeds dependant upon the observer. What you need is something that cannot change speed,ie, light.
If you use light instead of a ball, the speed must be constant for both observers, therefore the only other variable must be different - time. Here is the thought experiment that I learned at uni. Followed by an interesting paradox.
Imagine a spacecraft flying past the earth very fast. As it passes Pluto a passenger switches on a light, as it passes Neptune the light hits the wall opposite the passenger. As far as the passenger is concerned the light has travelled 20 feet in n units of time.
To you on the earth, the light has travelled a million miles in n units of time.
But light travels at the same speed to all observers everywhere, so the conclusion is that the passengers time and your time must be different and the only reason can be the fact that the passenger is travelling very fast.
Travel fast = time goes slower.
An interesting paradox.
Nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. Imagine a searchlight beaming up at the clouds. Flick the searchlight and the bright circle whizzes across the clouds. It must be possible to either flick the searchlight fast enough, or move the clouds high enough, to make the spot move FTL.
If you use light instead of a ball, the speed must be constant for both observers, therefore the only other variable must be different - time. Here is the thought experiment that I learned at uni. Followed by an interesting paradox.
Imagine a spacecraft flying past the earth very fast. As it passes Pluto a passenger switches on a light, as it passes Neptune the light hits the wall opposite the passenger. As far as the passenger is concerned the light has travelled 20 feet in n units of time.
To you on the earth, the light has travelled a million miles in n units of time.
But light travels at the same speed to all observers everywhere, so the conclusion is that the passengers time and your time must be different and the only reason can be the fact that the passenger is travelling very fast.
Travel fast = time goes slower.
An interesting paradox.
Nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. Imagine a searchlight beaming up at the clouds. Flick the searchlight and the bright circle whizzes across the clouds. It must be possible to either flick the searchlight fast enough, or move the clouds high enough, to make the spot move FTL.
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