The Twins Paradox and the Experience of Time

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  • Thread starter Thread starter Les Sleeth
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    Experience Relativity
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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the Twins Paradox in the context of General Relativity (GR) and the subjective experience of time for two twins, one of whom travels at relativistic speeds while the other remains on Earth. Participants explore whether the traveling twin would perceive time differently during their journey and how their consciousness relates to the physical experience of time dilation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question whether the traveling twin would feel that the five years spent traveling were the longest of their life, given the physical circumstances of time dilation.
  • Others argue that if the traveling twin is comfortable, their experience of time would not feel different from what is normal, suggesting that discomfort might skew perceptions of time.
  • One participant posits that the experience of time for both twins is fundamentally the same until the traveling twin turns around, breaking the symmetry of their frames of reference.
  • Another viewpoint suggests that relativistic time dilation affects all processes, including those related to consciousness, but questions whether the traveling twin's consciousness would notice any difference in the rate of time.
  • Some participants assert that there is no "difference in time rate" to notice, emphasizing that the traveling twin's experience of time is consistent with their frame of reference.
  • There is a discussion about whether spacetime is altered or merely perceived differently, with some arguing that both twins' experiences seem normal to them during their respective journeys.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether the traveling twin's experience of time would feel different due to their journey. There is no consensus on how consciousness interacts with the physical experience of time dilation, and multiple competing interpretations remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the importance of comfort and other factors in assessing the subjective experience of time, indicating that these elements may influence perceptions but do not resolve the fundamental questions about time dilation and consciousness.

  • #91
I don't have a lot od time right now but I'll give a short response and then a more detailed one later. I have no real problem with eothr of the sources you quoted. The only thing is that the phrasing used leaves room for misinterpretation by the reader.

When I talked about making a distinction between "actuality" and measurement, I meant just what I said, making a distinction. In Relativity, "What you measure is what you get". Measurement is actuality. What "actually" happens depends upon which frame you are in. The two twins, once brought back into the same frame, agree that their ages differ, They will not agree however, just how this difference was brought about. Nor is there anyway to choose between the twin's separate interpretations of the events leading to the age difference.

This discussion reminds me of the old puzzle. You've probably heard about it. It is the one with the three salesmen, the hotel manager and the bellhop. the gist is that after a series of money transfers, a dollar supposedly comes up missing. The thing is that the "missing dollar" is just an artifice created by the way the end part of the puzzle is worded, The dollar is never really missing.

The simularity, is that your search for what "actually" causes the end time difference is akin to looking for the "missing dollar".
 

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