How Does Relativity Affect Our Perception of Light and Time?

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    Light Relativity Time
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the effects of relativity on the perception of light and time, particularly when traveling at speeds close to that of light. Participants explore concepts such as time dilation, the speed of light, and the relativity of simultaneity, with a focus on how these phenomena influence an observer's experience of light and time.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that if traveling just under the speed of light, they perceive light approaching at the speed of light, despite their own time slowing down.
  • Another participant clarifies that only an external observer would see the traveler's clocks running slowly, while the traveler perceives their own clocks as normal.
  • A different participant argues that neither time dilation nor length contraction can fully explain why light from both directions appears to move at the same speed to the traveler, introducing the concept of loss of simultaneity.
  • A participant acknowledges their understanding of how their clocks appear to run slower to an observer, but questions how this affects their perception of light coming from behind them.
  • One participant expresses gratitude for the discussion and indicates a willingness to further explore the topic.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the implications of time dilation and simultaneity, indicating that multiple competing perspectives remain without a clear consensus on the interpretation of these relativistic effects.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference concepts that depend on specific definitions and assumptions about the nature of time and light in relativistic contexts, which remain unresolved in the discussion.

neh4pres
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[SOLVED] light and time

ok from what i understand if I am traveling just under the speed of light and looking foward the the light is aproching me at 186000 mps... there's 2 unites of measure here distance and time.. from what i know my time slows.. so the light seems to be reaching me at the speed of light instead of allmost double the speed of light... here's where my thought experiments come in.. if i turn around and look back in the direction I am coming from and time for me is still slow it should seem that light would be reaching me at 1/4 the speed of light. i know this not to be true... but it seems that if I am looking behind me at close to the speed of light my time would have to speed up to compensate and make me and any insterments percieve that the speed of light is still 186000miles per second
 
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Only to the observer who sees you moving at that high speed will your clocks run slowly. As far as you are concerned, your clocks run just as they always do.
 
neither time dilation nor length contraction can explain why both the light coming at you head-on and the light coming from behind both appear to you to be moving at the same speed. that is where loss of simultaneity comes in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relativity_of_simultaneity
 
ok i realize that to me everything is normal and and my clocks runing to an observer explaines y light coming at me from in front still seems to come at me at 186000 mp(s) cause (s) seconds are slower for me... however if i look backwords light will need to be coming at me at 186000mps... however won't my clock observed from someone watching me have to be running faster for this to happen..
 
ok thanks granpa .. i will look into this... not a bad question for someone who gets their knowledge from sci channel
 

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