Playing Catch: Solving the Spacelike Communication Challenge

[ehrenfest]

I am supposed to draw a space-time diagram representing "a game of catch (or a conversation) between two people at rest, 10 ft apart. How is it possible for them to communicate, given that their interval is spacelike?"

Firstly, how is this realistic when let's say that the ball takes 2 seconds to go between them. Then how in the world would -c*3+10*0.3084 be nonnegative>

 

[Gokul43201]

Where does the original question end?

Henceforth, please use the template. It eliminates such confusion.

If the events are something like throwing & catching (no matter how far apart), the interval between the events is clearly timelike.

 

[ehrenfest]

Where does the original question end?

Henceforth, please use the template. It eliminates such confusion.

I was using PF Nexus which does not provide the template, but I will switch to PF Prime.

The original question is verbatim:


"Draw a spacetime diagram representing a game of catch (or a conversation) between two people at rest, 10 ft apart. How is it possible for them to communicate, given that their separation is spacelike?"


Notice that I erroneously used "interval" instead of "seperation" in the thread-opening post.

 

[neutrino]

Let's say A , the "thrower," is at (0,0) when he throws the ball. B, the receiver, is at (0,10) in A's frame.(Using (t,x) for events.) Only these events are spacelike and thus unrelated to the interval between throwing and catching.

 

[ehrenfest]

OK. I kind of see the point of the question now. When A throws, B at that moment is outside the future of A. However, the resolution is that B at a later time is inside the future of A. This is a really weird question.

 

[Gokul43201]

OK. I kind of see the point of the question now.

I don't. It appears idiotic to me. I hope there's something non-trivial about it that I'm not seeing.

 

[ehrenfest]

I don't. It appears idiotic to me. I hope there's something non-trivial about it that I'm not seeing.

LOL. You're probably right.