Recent content by goodabouthood

I have another thread going right now but I don't want you to refer to that thread. I frankly don't understand what is going on in that thread so please answer my question here. Why do you need to measure the speed of light in both directions for an accurate reading? If I am in an inertial...

What does CMB stand for? So we are taking this 13.7 billion year time from the Earth's reference frame correct? How do we even take this measurement?

But isn't time relative? Did the Big Bang happen at different times in different reference frames? When we say 13.8 billion years ago, what exactly are we referring to?

People always say the Universe is 14 billions year old. But what does that mean? What is the time of the Universe relative to?

If we ignored the gravity factor, how would we figure out the time? I really want this example to be based on SR and not on GR. Would we have to choose a frame of reference such as the Earth?

Let's say we have two clocks that are synchronous here on Earth. One of the clocks is instantly transported to Mars. What time does the clock on Mars read? Is it ticking slower or faster than the one on Earth? I want to talk about SR here and not the gravity factor of GR. Let's say the...

so all moving bodies that are inertial are symmetrical to whatever inertial frame you choose, correct?

Let's say I am the stationary observer and there is spaceship moving at .8c relative to me. I see one year on my clock and I see .6 years on his clock. What time does he see on his own clock? I want to say he sees 1 year on his clock and .6 on mine, but I'm not sure.

So it's only on the turn around, or when the clock enters a new FOR, that the symmetry breaks?

I get this. So doesn't that mean if I am in the FOR of the Earth and 1 year passes by for me while .6 years passes by for the ship? What I want to know is what is going on in the FOR of the ship? Does he see his clock at one year and my clock at .6?

I can but that still doesn't really answer the question. I can actually imagine it both ways. I can imagine looking at the moving observer and seeing his ball bounce directly up and down. I can also imagine it taking the longer path. Would a ball actually take a longer path in reality? I want...

Why does the stationary observer see the spaceship light clock traverse a longer distance? How can you prove this? I don't understand why he sees the light take a longer path. I understand it because you tell me this is so but I don't understand why it actually happens.

http://www.trell.org/div/minkowski.html Using this interactive minkowski diagram I plugged in a relative velocity of .8c, and for event B I plugged in a (1,.8). This means in my reference frame one year has passed and event B is at location of .8light years. It tells me that t' = .6 and x' =...

Just to clarify. I am the stationary observer. There is a moving ship going at .8c relative to me. I experience one year on my clock. This 1 year is equal to my coordinate time and proper time, correct? Now the Coordinate time for the moving ship would be equal to 1 year as well, correct...

Are these really just two ways of explaining the same thing?