Time Dilation Video Feed Experiment

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a thought experiment involving time dilation and the perception of video feeds between two ships, one stationary and the other traveling at an impossible speed of 10^5 times the speed of light. Participants explore the implications of special relativity on how each ship perceives the other's video feed, while also addressing the feasibility of such speeds.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant proposes a scenario where two ships, A and B, use live cameras to observe each other, with ship B traveling at an impossible speed of 10^5 times the speed of light.
  • Another participant challenges the premise, stating that nothing can travel faster than light and that the scenario is physically impossible.
  • A participant expresses interest in the perception of the video feeds, questioning whether it is meaningful to consider mass traveling at such speeds and how it might affect the formulas of relativity.
  • Further clarification is provided that the impossibility of the scenario does not allow for meaningful answers, comparing it to a hypothetical situation involving a "magic pen" that alters fundamental geometric properties.
  • One participant suggests a similar thought experiment where one ship travels at 0.99c, noting that both ships would see themselves at rest while observing the other moving away, and that time differences would be greater than just the light travel time.
  • Another participant acknowledges their limited understanding of advanced concepts like Tachyons and the Alcubierre drive, indicating a need for foundational knowledge before engaging with those ideas.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the feasibility of the proposed scenario, with some asserting that the premise is impossible while others focus on the implications of the thought experiment despite its physical limitations.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in the assumptions made about speeds exceeding light and the implications for time dilation, as well as the necessity of considering signal latency in any thought experiment involving communication between moving observers.

zinzin
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Time dilation
As I've understood; two parties can experience time, or timespace, differently depending on each parties'
• velocity
• gravity

A debate led to this question:
ship A and ship B install livecams, each viewing both ships' livefeed on 2 screens*. Ship B launches away from earth** 10^5 times the speed of light with constant speed for 60 seconds. Ship A stays still the whole time.
How do each party perceive each others feeds?

* leave out the variable of streaming connection of cameras, presume perfect transmission in terms of latency.
** disregard gravitational variables from other planets than Earth.

NB: I don't study physics, I've seen the rules on homework q's but I didn't know where else to post a difficult q on special relativity.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
zinzin said:
Ship B launches away from earth** 10^5 times the speed of light

You have posited a totally impossible situation. Nothing travels faster than light and nothing with mass travels as fast as light
 
Point taken, thanks. Yet, my interest lies in the perception of the video feeds - is it impossible to presume mass traveling that fast (I don't care about current technology, will it f¤% up the formula, maybe?)
 
zinzin said:
Point taken, thanks. Yet, my interest lies in the perception of the video feeds - is it impossible to presume mass traveling that fast (I don't care about current technology, will it f¤% up the formula, maybe?)


Which part of my previous post did you not understand? Yes it is meaningless to make that assumption.
 
zinzin said:
Point taken, thanks. Yet, my interest lies in the perception of the video feeds - is it impossible to presume mass traveling that fast (I don't care about current technology, will it f¤% up the formula, maybe?)

It's not that it messes up the formula, it is that it is physically impossible, for reasons that have nothing to do with current technology - like asking "Suppose I draw a circle of radius R, but I use a special magic pen to draw the circle, and the way the magic pen works, the circumference of the circle isn't 2∏R, it's something larger than that. Now what would I see if used this magic pen to draw a square?" You're not going to get an answer.

Nor can you ignore the the latency for the signal to travel from one ship's camera to the other's display, and vice versa - because nothing can travel faster than light (if you've heard of "Tachyons" or "Alcubierre" PLEASE PLEASE don't mention them now - learn to walk before you run) there will be a delay, and it has to be allowed for.

However, there is a similar thought experiment that can be done. One ship stays at rest while the other jets off at .99c (very close to, but not exceeding, the speed of light). The video signals moving between them are transmitted at the speed of light. Both ships will see the exact same thing:

1) They will see themselves at rest while the other ship is moving away at .99c
2) The time on their clock will be greater than the time they see in the video image of the other clock (which, of course, left the other ship a while back).
3) The time difference in #2 will be greater than can be explained just by allowing for the light travel time between the two ships.
 
I see, thanks. I read some about Tachyons and Alcubierre. Those models are a bit ahead of me, yes:)
 

Similar threads

Undergrad A matter of time dilation: how much time has actually passed?
  • · Replies 26 ·
Replies
26
Views
2K
High School How far away can a World So Newly Born Be at relativistic velocities?
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
2K
High School Einstein thought experiment confusion: “light clock in a moving frame”
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
High School Question about "odometer" analogy and time dilation
  • · Replies 34 ·
2
Replies
34
Views
2K
High School Is the Twins Paradox Equivalent to GPS Time Dilation?
  • · Replies 70 ·
3
Replies
70
Views
7K
Undergrad Effects of time dilation for near-speed-of-light travel
  • · Replies 65 ·
3
Replies
65
Views
13K
Undergrad Is Time Dilation Just a Misunderstanding of Clock Errors?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Undergrad Questions about a thought experiment involving time dilation
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
High School Gravitational time dilation depth charge
  • · Replies 24 ·
Replies
24
Views
2K
High School Explaining Distant Time Dilation & Enhanced Gravitation
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K