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bernhard.rothenstein
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Does " What you don't see with your eyes, don't invent with your mouth" does work in special relativity?:rofl:
When I posted the thread I did not have a clear answer to the question proposing it only for relaxation. Pervect's answer is interesting. In between I remembered an old question in special relativity: Can we see the Lorentz contraction? As far as I know there are authors who consider that we are not able to see it (Terrel?) and others who consider that under certain circumstances we can. Are thought experiments a way to make abstract concepts more palpable?yogi said:Your post is a bit vague - you must have something specific in mind!
pervect said:Abstract concepts are very useful in relativity, as elswhere. This is what I assume is meant by "don't see with your eyes" - abstractions.
But sometimes people incorrectly carry over abstract concepts that used to work in Newtonian theory to relativity. This can be a problem.
Discussing everything in terms of observations (i.e. no abstractions, take everything down to the lowest level of what is actually measured and directly observed) is more work, but is one way (and one of the better ways) of avoiding or sidestepping the trap of incorrrect abstract concepts, if all parties are sufficiently dedicated, patient, and have enough time.
bernhard.rothenstein said:When I posted the thread I did not have a clear answer to the question proposing it only for relaxation. Pervect's answer is interesting. In between I remembered an old question in special relativity: Can we see the Lorentz contraction? As far as I know there are authors who consider that we are not able to see it (Terrel?) and others who consider that under certain circumstances we can. Are thought experiments a way to make abstract concepts more palpable?
"What You Don't See" is a concept in special relativity that refers to the idea that the laws of physics should be the same for all observers, regardless of their relative motion. This means that even if an object is moving at high speeds, its physical properties should appear the same to an observer as they would if the object was stationary.
One example is the famous thought experiment of the twin paradox. In this scenario, one twin stays on Earth while the other twin travels through space at high speeds. According to special relativity, time will pass slower for the traveling twin, so when they return to Earth, the traveling twin will be younger. This is because from the perspective of the traveling twin, time appeared to pass normally, while from the perspective of the stationary twin, time appeared to pass slower.
"What You Don't See" is a fundamental principle in special relativity that has greatly impacted our understanding of the universe. It has led to the development of theories such as time dilation, length contraction, and the equivalence of mass and energy. It has also helped explain phenomena such as the behavior of particles at high speeds and the bending of light around massive objects.
While "What You Don't See" is most commonly associated with special relativity, it also applies to other areas of physics such as quantum mechanics. In quantum mechanics, the principle of superposition states that an object can exist in multiple states simultaneously until it is observed. This is similar to "What You Don't See" in that the behavior of an object is dependent on the observer.
While "What You Don't See" is a fundamental principle in special relativity, it does have some limitations. It only applies to systems that are in a state of constant motion, and not to systems that are accelerating. It also does not account for the effects of gravity, which must be taken into consideration in certain scenarios, such as near massive objects.