Can You Stand Still in Time Without Movement in Space?

  • Thread starter Hano34
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In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of standing still in both space and time, and how it is not a meaningful concept as there is no absolute rest or motion. It also touches on the relationship between motion and time, which is dependent on relative velocity. The conversation concludes that if there are no other people around, there is no need to consider relativity.
  • #1
Hano34
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Hey everyone.

I was thinking, that if you were to stand perfectly still in space wouldn't you stand still in time too? Well since space is relative, and you wouldn't be able to "stand still", but what if you were the only thing in the universe? Because the way i understand relativity you don't move, unless you have something to move relatively to.
Would you be able to "move" through time?

By the way, if my question is simply ridicoulus then i appologies, i have not even started high school yet, so my understanding of physics is somewhat limited.
 
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  • #2
Hey!

Because the way i understand relativity you don't move, unless you have something to move relatively to.

Well you could raise your arm, point your finger, then start moving around that point your finger is standing. There you go, you are moving relative to something =P In this case you eyes are moving faster than your finger.. Expand the example for your object choice.

You also know if you are accelerating or deccelerating through the centrifugal forces applied.

What do you mean by move through time?
 
  • #3
Hano34 said:
I was thinking, that if you were to stand perfectly still in space ...
This is not a meaningful concept. There is no absolute 'rest' or 'motion', it is only relative, defined with respect to other matter.

You're right to think there is a relationship between motion and time because our perception of other peoples clocks depends on relative velocity.
 
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  • #4
Mentz114 said:
our perception of other peoples clocks depends on relative velocity
That's the key point. If there are no other people, no need to bother about their clocks.
 
  • #5
Ich said:
That's the key point. If there are no other people, no need to bother about their clocks.

Practically speaking; if there are other people around, still no need to bother about their clocks. Since nobody is traveling through relativistic speeds for quite a long long time.
 
  • #6
Ich said:
That's the key point. If there are no other people, no need to bother about their clocks.
Apologies to Hano32, I misread his post.
 
  • #7
Actually I think your answer hit the nail on the head. Relativity always happens to other people. If there's only one, there's nothing to do for relativity.
 

What is standing still in spacetime?

Standing still in spacetime refers to an object or person being stationary in both space and time. This means that the object or person is not moving in any direction and is experiencing time at a constant rate.

Is it possible to stand still in spacetime?

According to Einstein's theory of relativity, it is not possible to stand still in spacetime. This is because everything in the universe is constantly moving through spacetime, even if it appears to be stationary in space.

How does gravity affect standing still in spacetime?

Gravity can affect standing still in spacetime by warping the fabric of spacetime itself. This can cause objects to appear to be standing still in space, even though they are actually moving through spacetime.

What is the concept of spacetime dilation?

Spacetime dilation is the phenomenon where time appears to pass at different rates for objects that are moving at different speeds. This is due to the fact that time and space are interconnected, and the faster an object moves through space, the slower time appears to pass for that object.

How does standing still in spacetime relate to the speed of light?

According to Einstein's theory of relativity, the speed of light is the maximum possible speed at which an object can move through spacetime. This means that standing still in spacetime would require an object to be moving at the speed of light, which is not possible for massive objects.

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