Does my Thumb warp spacetime?

In summary, when your fingers are pinching the image it causes the image to sharpen and distort more than when your thumb is pinched. This is because your fingers are blocking some of the light that is coming from the TV.
  • #1
timetravel_0
32
0
Simple Experiment. Find a bookshelf full of books in a well lit area (such as a library or bookstore.) Find a seat about 10 feet away facing the bookshelf. Hold out your right hand in a fist with your thumb pointing out little less than a foot from your face just outside your peripheral vision. Now focus on the bookshelf and slowly move your thumb into view. Try to focus through the edge of your thumb onto the books without focusing on your thumb. You'll notice a blurry edge around your thumb, try not to let that distract you. If you do it just right, you'll notice the books 'squeeze' together and become sharper to your view. If you focus around the edge of your thumb you'll notice straight lines bend around your thumb in a distance. You can do this with any object in a distance, but a book shelf seems to do well because of the vertical lines. The 'focus' effect can be observed even more clearly by putting your finger and thumb into a squeezing position without touching each other and looking through that small seam between - the closer your finger and thumb come the more sharper objects at a distance become. If you wear glasses or contacts - take them off/out and this effect can be observed even more drastically.

Is this 'warping' effect caused by gravitation lensing or is this some other effect?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
timetravel_0 said:
Is this 'warping' effect caused by gravitation lensing

No. Gravitational lensing would not be strong enough to be perceptible by eye unless you had a huge amount of mass between your eye and the books.
 
  • #3
That’s what I assumed as well, it doesn't change the fact the optical effect is occurring. I made a video to demonstrate the effect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7xaarEGHLM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7xaarEGHLM"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #4
There are two effects here:
1] Diffraction - waves tend to bend around objects. Light does so, just like waves in a lake manage to get into a harbour.

2] Aperature. An object seen through a large (or absent) aperature is the sum total of all rays from source to focal plane. With a small aperature (or a partial aperature causes by something nearby) some light rays are blocked, which has an effect on the sharpness and location of the resultant image.

I play with this while watching TV in bed without my glasses. I use my fingers to "pinch" the image in various ways and watch how it sharpens and distorts the image.
 

1. What is spacetime?

Spacetime is a concept in physics that combines the three dimensions of space with the fourth dimension of time. It is used to explain the relationship between objects in the universe and how they move and interact with each other.

2. How does my thumb warp spacetime?

According to Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, any object with mass, including your thumb, can warp or bend the fabric of spacetime. This occurs because mass creates a gravitational field that curves the fabric of spacetime, causing objects to move towards each other.

3. Is the warping of spacetime by my thumb significant?

No, the warping of spacetime by your thumb is not significant in everyday life. The amount of mass in your thumb is too small to cause noticeable changes in the fabric of spacetime. However, on a larger scale, objects with greater mass, such as planets and stars, can significantly warp spacetime.

4. Can my thumb create a black hole?

No, your thumb does not have enough mass to create a black hole. The minimum mass needed to form a black hole is approximately three times the mass of our Sun. However, if you were to compress your thumb to the size of a pea, it would have enough mass to form a black hole.

5. Does the warping of spacetime by my thumb have any practical applications?

The warping of spacetime by objects with mass has been proven to have practical applications, such as GPS technology. The satellites in the GPS system have atomic clocks that are affected by the warping of spacetime caused by the Earth's mass. Without taking this into account, GPS technology would not be as accurate as it is today.

Similar threads

  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
11
Views
3K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
19
Views
2K
  • Science Fiction and Fantasy Media
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • Special and General Relativity
3
Replies
73
Views
13K
Replies
7
Views
4K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
23
Views
8K
Back
Top