- #1
Dickie_Boy
- 5
- 0
Hi,
I've been listening to a Professor Jim Al-Khalil's scipod on time travel. I think this guy is bloody excellent by the way.
http://reader.mac.com/mobile/v1/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jimal-khalili.com%2Fpodcast%2Fjim.rss
Anyway,
He said to an observer on the Earth a clock on a rocket (traveling close to light speed) slows down. And yet to an observer on the rocket the clock on the Earth slows down (because relatively the Earth is speeding away from the rocket).
But from what he says it's only the person on the rocket that experiences the REAL effect on time slowing down?So,
If your rocket was zooming around the Earth in a circular path (close to the surface). And both yourself on the rocket and an observer on the Earth could see each others clocks.
As the rocket slowed down prior to landing, would the observer on the rocket see the clock on the EARTH speed up and catch up with, and then overtake the clock on the rocket? Surely it MUST.
I think also he assuming that for observational purposes the speed of light is instantaneous, otherwise you have to factor in all sorts of variables
I've been listening to a Professor Jim Al-Khalil's scipod on time travel. I think this guy is bloody excellent by the way.
http://reader.mac.com/mobile/v1/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jimal-khalili.com%2Fpodcast%2Fjim.rss
Anyway,
He said to an observer on the Earth a clock on a rocket (traveling close to light speed) slows down. And yet to an observer on the rocket the clock on the Earth slows down (because relatively the Earth is speeding away from the rocket).
But from what he says it's only the person on the rocket that experiences the REAL effect on time slowing down?So,
If your rocket was zooming around the Earth in a circular path (close to the surface). And both yourself on the rocket and an observer on the Earth could see each others clocks.
As the rocket slowed down prior to landing, would the observer on the rocket see the clock on the EARTH speed up and catch up with, and then overtake the clock on the rocket? Surely it MUST.
I think also he assuming that for observational purposes the speed of light is instantaneous, otherwise you have to factor in all sorts of variables
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