Recent content by choran

OK, thanks Nagatory, I appreciate it.

Thanks, Nug: In my example, light went 1 LY. I traveled 1/2 LY behind it, in same direction. No return beam, no additional facts. Are you saying "You didn't really travel 1/2LY" or are you saying "The light pulse didn't really travel 1 LY" or ? How far did I go, and at what velocity?

Thank you all for the responses. May I ask if you all concur with the post of Mentz114 re: distance contraction? Having a bit of trouble with that one. Thanks again.

Mentz, if so, did it contract to the point where my velocity relative to the pulse became zero in order to keep c invariant? Thanks.

Gotcha, Dale. That's what I thought you meant, just wanted to be sure. I can live with that. Still waiting for the headline: "Aether discovered! Scientists in an Uproar!" I checked the paper today. No news yet. LOL What would happen though, in that rather unlikely situation? i guess SR...

Let me star with 1. Is diagram 1 indicating that the light reflection from the star will reach me, the black line traveler, at somewhat over 1 year? If so, we have to stop right there. I would say that when the light reaches the star, I will have traveled exactly halfway to the star. Are we in...

Thank you both very much for the time spent! GHWellsJr., in my example above, I thought it was a simpler issue. A and B stand together on earth. Let's say they both shoot a pulse toward the star, which by agreement, not assumption, is 1 light year away. A says "Think I'll head out toward the...

I like books, always have several going at once, now that I have the time. Thanks for the recommend, I will enjoy owning it. I've got several general physics texts, but most only devote a chapter or two to relativity, so this will be nice.

OK, just ordered it. Found a used copy on Amazon--still "ouch"! LOL

"Am" should be "aim". Sorry.

Oh, forgot to mention another one I just can't visualize: I shoot a single pulse of light away from me as I move at .5 c. I am it at a distant star. I continue along at .5 c. A guy who started out standing next to me, motionless with respect to me, also looks at that pulse of light move away...

That is a very clear explanation, I for some reason I have no problem with agreeing. When it is put that way, it seems (is?) quite uncontroversial and sensible. If I look at SR as simply being an issue of how to measure velocity given the relativity postulate and the light invariance...

Well, still hard for me to internalize that one. Certain can see exactly what you are saying, it sounds good. Can't get over that at the exact moment A is measuring B's clock as slow, B at that exact moment is measuring A's clock as slow. It's not a matter of perspective--that would be easy...

When you say "if both are inertial", do you mean assuming both are noting in uniform relative motion relative to one another? I guess that's the answer, but a tough one to swallow! Like saying Joe is fatter than Al, but Al is fatter than Joe. Half a shot of Seargrams for Dale! LOL

OK, who do I send the Seagrams to? Thanks fellas, appreciate it! My buddy was right! OK, here's my last one, and it's for me. Don't yell, now! Remember, I'm old and not about to return to college--been there, done that, and had a fine career in another profession, now retired having a ball...