*I am a former geek myself. I wanted to grow up to be an astronomer when I was younger. The problem is I keep finding myself being quite slowly but surely pushed into a magical universe (which is why geeks on a paranormal site seem ideal for an assist)
A problem with time dilation
So the Michelson-Morley experiment showed that when the speed of light was measured both as we approach and recede from the sun, it is constant. This is totally contrary to everything science knew at the time. Mr. Einstein explained this with his concept of time dilation.
But the problem is for this to explain the problem of the constancy of the speed of light then it must follow that the entire planet is experiencing it as well as the fact that it must change for the entire planet over the course of each year. The time dilation needed to maintain the illusion of a constant speed for light as we are approaching the sun and therefore should combine our speeds to produce a resultant is not the same as when that needed to balance our resultant speed out to maintain the speed of light when we are moving away from the sun and would subtract one velocity from the other or something like that. The point is 1) the entire planet experiences this time dilation since the experiment can be performed any time and any place on earth, and 2) The degree of time dilation we experience is not constant but must vary over the course of the year dependent on our movement in relation to the sun.
Now a common suggestion made by many would be to broadcast a signal from earth to astronauts in a rocket so that they could use it to track ‘earth time’. When reading about this it is always pointed out how the astronauts would experience the signals as coming in further and further apart as their time slowed down.
But if the planet earth is serving as that spaceship then why aren’t the signals we receive coming in at different rates dependent on the degree of time dilation we are experiencing which is in turn dependent on where we on in our orbit?
We have such signals. We have an intergalactic clock that sends out signals at regular intervals. They are called Pulsars. Some send out a signal every 1.4 milliseconds yet there is no mention of the frequency of these signals ever varying as we move around the sun. Why was it necessary to put an atomic clock in a plane and fly it around the world a few dozen times to prove time dilation? Wouldn’t the people who measure the frequency of pulsars have said ‘No need. The fluctuations in the frequency of pulsar transmissions is sufficient proof’?
Would not these fluctuations occur all year long as the earth moved through the different parts of it’s orbit and therefore experienced different levels of time dilation?
Being a former geek I do try to keep up on the latest scientific news and articles. I have never seen a single report anywhere of anyone ever even casually referring to the fact that pulsars pulse at different rates in the autumn and spring which they should as we are experiencing different forms of time dilation at these two particular times.
Here is the method posted by atronomyonline.org that explains how the frequency of pulsar signals are determined. Note it nowhere mentions any allowance being made for any time dilation the earth might be experiencing.
I think about two starships (Kirk’s Enterprise and Picard’s. Hey I warned you I’m a former geek) who find themselves approaching each other with no other reference points and attempting to determine who is moving and who is stationary (The classic two men floating in space problem). I put them on the outer edges of a giant black hole so that they may continue to cross each other’s paths while travelling in a straight line. During one particular passing Spock and Data (our two logic dependent crewmen) are beamed across to the other ship.
Problem:
Each ship believes it has transported a man into a passing speeding ship which then shoots away from them, makes four or five rounds of the central black hole and then is returned. How can both of them find their crewman has returned with his watch having moved slower than the rest of the crew?
How can both Spock and Data have watches that have moved slower than each other?
Common sense says one man must return with his watch having moved ‘faster’. But if this is the case we are screwing with Einstein’s claim that all points of view are equally valid? Is this not the same as asking those who still accept Aristotle’s idea of the rate of fall of an object being dependent on it’s weight what happens when a 5 and a 10 pound weight are tied together? Does the 5 lb weight slow the other down or does it now fall faster as a 15 pound weight would? I believe it was this paradox that called Aristotelean physics into question to begin with.
And in our two spaceship scenario one person believing himself stationary accelerates a crewman and finds that when returned, yes, his watch ran slower but it is equally possible (as must occur on the other ship) that it ran faster? Is this not a paradox equal to Aristotle’s? (Aristotle’s weight’s falling both faster and slower) How can this be done and still maintain Einstein’s claim of all points of view being equally valid?
Why isn’t the frequency rate of pulsars dependent on the time/date/season of the measurement?
But if time dilation is not correct then what of all the other theories dependent on the idea of time dilation? It is time dilation specifically that makes acceleration beyond the speed of light impossible and also time dilation that accounts for the constancy of the speed of light. How many laws of physics collapse if we reject the idea of time dilation?
If we can measure the time dilation experienced by a plane then why can we not detect the dilation produced by a much more rapid earth moving through space?
Help
More coffee…more problem…back in a minute. How about playing with the general idea of relativity itself, our two men floating in space without reference points? Would it be possible to determine motion without using time dilation? Just plain Newtonian physics? Einstein of course, said No! He stated quite clearly in his ‘Theory of Relativity’ and I quote “THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ABSOLUTE MOTION”. For the non-geeks this translates into there is no such thing as absolute space and our two geeks in space with no reference points can never determine who is moving.
That’s the problem. Not only does there appear to be an answer but it seems obvious enough for an eight-year-old to figure out. But I could be wrong.
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Jabawaki22 (Jabawaki22)
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Posted: Jan 05 10 10:56 PM
Message: 16544.3 (3 of 6) Reply to 16544.2
Bear with me Mr. Wagner. One more and then I hope to firmly establish this conversation as a ‘paranormal’ subject.
So, non-geeks will have to trust me on this. It would take too long to translate into common terms but Mr. Einstein’s theories hold that in space one can not determine motion, speed or even direction.
This is inconsistent with his own theories as he also states that at a high enough speed (near light-speed) the universe would seem to draw up into a single point of light ahead of you.
So if I look out the front view port at this point of light then the person standing behind me facing the other way can not see anything but darkness? This does not indicate direction?
If I decrease my speed and this point of light grows larger and begins to expand around me and I can not determine that I am losing speed? Perhaps Mr. Einstein did not have enough coffee this particular day. Self-inconsistencies are sloppy work.
But let’s get to our eight-year-old critics.
According to Mr. Einstein it is not simply that moving and stationary objects cannot be distinguished, he claims there is no difference.
So you ask an 8-year-old what is the difference.
He gives you an 8-year-old’s answer.
A stationary object can not slow down.
Interesting. Does this idea have any practical application? We take the time to explain the idea of absolute space to him. The idea of reaching an ‘objective’ stop that science can demonstrate is more than an opinion. He reaches into his pocket and removes one straw for his spitballs, one ball bearing for his slingshot and one slingshot. The ball goes inside the straw, the elastic from the slingshot is stretched around the straw the long way and he gives it to you announcing he has just built a device for locating absolute space. ??? What?
Translate. A steel ball inside a cylinder with very fine membranes stretched over either end. He explains that this should be connected to a source of constant acceleration with a signaling device included.
Now pick a direction in space. There are three but we will use just one to start with. Fire off two of these little devices in opposite directions, 180 degrees apart. Unless the starting point is itself located in absolute space and containing no motion in relation to this plane, then it follows that the two objects cannot both be accelerating. One must be decelerating.
In both cases the forces of inertia (We’re going to limit ourselves to Newtonian physics) will force the ball bearing back against the membrane causing it to stretch. The stretched membrane in turn completes a circuit which arms our device.
Now if we graph the speed of these two objects the one that is accelerating should show a gradual and steady increase in speed.
In a graph showing time vs speed we would produce something like a line growing out from O (our point of origin and climbing at a specific angle up to the right.
But in the case of the device which is decelerating the line will go down to the zero and then begin to climb upward to the right. A “V” shape.
But we have added more information than needed. We have a constant source of acceleration and so the time portion of our graph is unnecessary. Let us just graph the rate of speed. To do this we need only a number line.
Remember them?
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
Cute little things we learned in the third grade
In the case of an accelerating object we put our highlighter on the zero and just cover everything to the right.
In the case of a decelerating object, however, we must place our highlighter on one of the negative numbers and move it to the right. But you can not decelerate forever. Eventually your speed will reach zero and you begin to accelerate even if it appears you are moving in the same direction
BUT you cannot get from the negative numbers to the positive numbers without passing through zero. You can not go from decelerating to accelerating without passing a moment of being stationary. There must be an instant, no matter how brief when it shifts from deceleration to acceleration and neither holds sway. There is no inertia in a car when it spins it’s wheels. It is not until the motion begins that inertia kicks in. When the graph passes zero, when the motion has stopped, so has inertia. If it’s motion is non-existent the force of inertia would not hold the ball bearing against the membrane. Remember it is not simply a case of remaining in place but of exerting a force against a membrane which is pushing back. At zero point there would be an instant which lacked inertia. The membrane would push the bearing away, the signaling device would detach and a radio signal would be sent back to the point of origin.
The signaling device was released during the moment of no motion and therefore the laws of inertia demand it remains where it is at a dead stop in space, at least on that plane. Two more test in the two remaining planes and absolute space would be firmly established.
Do you see technical difficulties? The question is not does the technology exist now but simply is it potentially possible? I have given you the idea. Must I provide schematics?
I am running out of Einstein’s problems. Time to move back to Mr. Newton and show that we are all existing in a magical universe. But first, more coffee.
So where are my geeks? Last chance to save me before I top the mountains of madness and move into a very bizarre world. Come on guys, I’m one of you. Help!
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