Special Relativity philosophy and anxiety

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the philosophical implications of special relativity, particularly in relation to human relationships and communication. Participants explore the concept of the block universe and its potential effects on interpersonal dynamics, questioning whether differing reference frames could hinder effective communication and alter relationships.

Discussion Character

  • Philosophical exploration
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions how the block universe interpretation of special relativity affects relationships, suggesting that differing reference frames might lead to communication issues.
  • Another participant argues that communication failures stem from various reasons unrelated to relativistic effects, emphasizing that people can agree on conventions despite differing reference frames.
  • Some participants challenge the need for evidence supporting the block universe theory, suggesting that without experimental validation, one might reconsider their philosophical stance.
  • A later reply asserts that no human relationship has been altered by relativistic effects, reinforcing the idea that practical communication can still occur across different reference frames.
  • Humor is introduced with a hypothetical scenario involving twins, suggesting that personal feelings could be affected by relativistic experiences, though this remains speculative.
  • Concerns are raised about the appropriateness of discussing philosophical implications on a physics forum, with some participants expressing frustration over the perceived lack of understanding of special relativity in philosophical contexts.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether special relativity impacts human relationships. While some assert that it does not, others explore the philosophical implications, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of empirical evidence for the block universe theory and the philosophical nature of the questions posed, which may not align with the forum's focus on physics.

EclogiteFacies
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TL;DR
Does Special Relativity impact the philosophy of our interactions and therefore relationships?
Hello all you clever people,

I was wondering if you guys could answer a question for me regarding special relativity and the none existence of time. At least in the sense that the block universe people believe.
So I'm writing as if the block universe is the correct interpretation

What does this mean for our relationships with other people? I know this might seem silly..
But if my reference frame disagrees with yours then surely this would mean we fail to communicate effectively.

What does it mean for the conscious experience of my friend in my reference frame when compared to their own reference frame? Surely their experience does not exist for me in my frame!
... Does it in anyway change the dynamics of our relationships when compared with typical intuitive ideas of time.

It's hard to articulate what I'm trying to get at, it's all very new to me..
I also am pretty sure I'm over thinking if this was a true issue I'm sure there would be someone somewhere on the Internet talking about it (I've looked and there's not)

I hope you can give me some advice
 
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EclogiteFacies said:
TL;DR Summary: Does Special Relativity impact the philosophy of our interactions and therefore relationships?

if my reference frame disagrees with yours then surely this would mean we fail to communicate effectively
We fail to communicate effectively for a wide variety of reasons, none of which have anything to do with relativistic effects or the block universe. We often fail to communicate effectively because we make incorrect assumptions. Those rarely have anything to do with relativity
 
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You could try starting with answering yourself the obvious question - is there any evidence to support the suggestion that the block theory makes, that all the past and the current moment in time exist together. Is you can't find true evidence to support it's view (and not from a philospher but from an experiment) then you can drop your ideas and have nothing to worry about.
 
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DrJohn said:
You could try starting with answering yourself the obvious question - is there any evidence to support the suggestion that the block theory makes, that all the past and the current moment in time exist together. Is you can't find true evidence to support it's view (and not from a philospher but from an experiment) then you can drop your ideas and have nothing to worry about.
Well I'm thinking under the assumption. Does it change our relationships. I'm interested in the philosophical impacts to aid in choosing a stance.
 
EclogiteFacies said:
What does this mean for our relationships with other people? I know this might seem silly..
But if my reference frame disagrees with yours then surely this would mean we fail to communicate effectively.

What does it mean for the conscious experience of my friend in my reference frame when compared to their own reference frame? Surely their experience does not exist for me in my frame!
... Does it in anyway change the dynamics of our relationships when compared with typical intuitive ideas of time.
I think you're misreading what "disagree" means. All it means is that the answers are different when the inputs are different. That has nothing to do with human interactions. Most people have no difficulty coming to an agreement on conventions/references. Just a few minutes ago, for example, I accepted a meeting in a different time zone. We communicated and came to an agreement on when it should happen. I have full confidence the meeting will occur successfully even though our calendars say the meeting is at different times.
 
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EclogiteFacies said:
I'm interested in the philosophical impacts
Then why are you asking this at PF? We explicitly do not allow philosophical discussions...
 
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berkeman said:
Then why are you asking this at PF? We explicitly do not allow philosophical discussions...
Well I find a lot of people on philosophy forums don't actually understand SR. You guys do you're clever physicists, engineers and mathematicians.

Hopefully I haven't been too annoying!
 
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EclogiteFacies said:
Does it change our relationships.
No, it does not. No human relationship in history has been altered because of relativistic effects.
 
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Dale said:
No, it does not. No human relationship in history has been altered because of relativistic effects.
But if we ever do send twin A on a round trip to Alpha Centauri with relativistic speeds while twin B stays at home, I bet twin B will begin to hate the younger one's guts. ;)
 
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EclogiteFacies said:
Well I find a lot of people on philosophy forums don't actually understand SR. You guys do you're clever physicists, engineers and mathematicians.
But we are also philosophically naive and uneducated ;) (for a reason)
 
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  • #11
And with that we will close the thread.
 
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