Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around a thought experiment comparing the ticking rates of clocks placed in different environments, specifically a Faraday cage containing cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation and a microwave oven. The participants explore how external conditions, such as temperature and radiation, might affect the passage of time as measured by these clocks.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Technical explanation
- Conceptual clarification
- Debate/contested
Main Points Raised
- One participant proposes a scenario involving a perfect Faraday cage containing CMB radiation and questions whether a clock inside would tick at the same rate as clocks outside in the future when the CMB's redshift increases.
- Another participant agrees with the assumption that gravitational effects can be neglected in this scenario.
- A follow-up question is raised about the ticking rate of a clock inside a microwave oven compared to one on the casing, assuming gravitational effects are also neglected here.
- Further discussion questions the qualitative differences in ticking rates between the two scenarios, particularly in relation to temperature changes of the CMB over time.
- One participant clarifies that tick rates are numerical and suggests that differences in ticking rates due to environmental factors would be minimal, emphasizing that the effect of the box or oven would be significantly larger than any differences caused by radiation spectra.
- Another participant inquires about the ticking rates of clocks in the context of the CMB's temperature change from 3000K to 2.7K, while again neglecting gravitational effects.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants generally agree on the neglect of gravitational effects in their analyses, but there is no consensus on the implications of temperature and radiation on the ticking rates of the clocks. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the qualitative differences in tick rates between the two scenarios.
Contextual Notes
The discussion includes assumptions about neglecting gravitational effects and the impact of radiation on clock rates, which may not be universally accepted or applicable in all contexts.