At Big Think: How reality is shaped by the speed of light

_{Eric Hedin

November 11, 2022

Intelligent Design}

Share: Facebook; Twitter; LinkedIn; Flipboard; Print; Email

KEY TAKEAWAYS

When you look at a picture of a galaxy that is 75 million light-years away, you are seeing that galaxy at a time when dinosaurs ruled the Earth.
Distance translates into time because the speed of light is finite.
What you perceive as “now” is really layer after layer of light reaching your eye from many different moments in the past.

Light from the time of the dinosaurs

When you look at a picture of a galaxy that is 75 million light-years away, you are not seeing it as it is right now, but as it was when that light you are seeing left it 75 million years ago. That means you are seeing that galaxy at a time when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, and you were nothing but a dream in the tiny mind of the tiny mammals that existed back then.

[Or, to override the materialistic worldview of the author, we could say that 75 million years ago, we were nothing but a dream in the vast mind of God, who has existed from all eternity.]

I think everyone is familiar with this idea, and it is mind-blowing enough that everyone is happy to explore it again each time an image of a distant galaxy is released. Distance translates into time because the speed of light is finite. Therefore it always takes some time for light to cross the distance between a galaxy and your eye. A galaxy 75 million light-years away has had 75 million years to evolve since that light left and may no longer look like what we see in the image. That is incredible. (Actually, 75 million years is not enough time for galaxies to evolve much. Galaxies 10 billion light years distant are, however, another story).
So yes, everyone loves this idea. But here is the thing. You don’t need objects to be billions, millions, thousands, or even one single light year away to experience how distance translates into time. It is a constant part of your life. You are trapped in time.

False simultaneity

Consider an object sitting two meters away from you. Look up now, find one, and focus your eyes on it. Let’s say it’s a chair. Because the speed of light is 2.99 x 10⁸ meters per second, the light your eye is detecting left that chair exactly 660 picoseconds ago. A picosecond is one trillionth of a second, and while I will grant that 660 trillionths of a second ago is pretty recent, it is still in the past. You are not seeing that chair as it is now, you are seeing it as it was. The same is true for everything else your eye detects. You never ever see the world as it is.

[Sorry to have to correct his math, but if the object is two meters from your eyes, you would be seeing it about 6700 picoseconds in the past, not 660 picoseconds.

The author continues, and raises some interesting questions.]

What you perceive as the “now” is really layer after layer of light reaching your eye from many different moments in the past. Your “now” is an overlapping mosaic of “thens.” What you imagine to be the real world existing simultaneously with you is really a patchwork of moments from different pasts. You never live in the world as it is. You only experience it as it was, a tapestry of past vintages.
Chairs, tables, houses, the moon, the stars, and the Milky Way. They are all living in different pasts, but when you stand in their assembled midst, they make up this fleeting moment of your life. How could something so real be built from such a potent illusion?
Full article at Big Think.

If we could imagine moving at the speed of light (which is not actually possible for material objects), we would be decoupled from the time experienced in this physical universe. All events in the physical universe would seem to us to be happening simultaneously–we would effectively be outside of time. Perhaps light is more fundamental than space, and the only reason we are “trapped in time” is that we have been rotated into a spatial-temporal reality in which light is only ever a fleeting visitor.

Comments

Q: Of course I know the role played by the sqrt(1 - v^2/c^2) factor in the equations. Don't know what point you were trying to make when you wrote, "Great! So then you know where gamma is involved in Einstein’s famous equation. " As I wrote above, "I know how to derive them from the results of the Michelson-Morley experiments." I once worked with a student in the gifted program who was interested in relativity work through the derivation of the equations and understand both the setup and the algebra.Viola Lee_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
04:43 PM
4
04
43
PM
PDT}

Thanks for the second opinion about Cherenkov radiation, BA. I assume relatd understands now.Viola Lee_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
04:08 PM
4
04
08
PM
PDT}

Does Cherenkov radiation disprove Einstein principle and Maxwell equation? How can electricity travel faster than the speed of light? Q: Does Cherenkov radiation disprove Einstein principle and Maxwell equation? How can electricity travel faster than the speed of light? Of course not. Cherenkov radiation occurs when a charged particle moves through a medium at a speed greater than the phase velocity of light in that medium. That is always a lower speed than the speed of light in a vacuum. So nothing in the theories of Einstein or Maxwell is violated - Gary Novosielski - retired Physics teacher https://qr.ae/pvjGOK --- https://www.quora.com/Cherenkov-radiation-is-supposedly-faster-than-light-But-didnt-Einstein-say-nothing-can-travel-faster-than-light
bornagain77_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
03:33 PM
3
03
33
PM
PDT}

Note: Bremsstrahlung (braking radiation) prevents electrons from travelling faster than the speed of light in a particular medium while undergoing acceleration (typically, deflection around a proton-heavy nucleus). Viola Lee wrote:
I know about the Lorentz transformations.
Great! So then you know where gamma is involved in Einstein's famous equation. Here's a thought experiment. Take a massive object travelling at a relativistic velocity into and out of a gravitational energy well. As it speeds up it gains some mass and as it slows down it loses some mass. When it slows down and loses mass, would you say that the extra mass is radiated as energy? Relatd, The only way something--a galaxy in this case--can actually travel APPARENTLY faster than the speed of light in a vacuum is actually due to cosmic expansion and not due to relative motion. At least this is what's being measured by the increasing red shift of distant galaxies. Regarding Cherenkov radiation, here's an explanation that might be helpful (note the words, "in a medium"). https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-bremsstrahlung-and-cherenkov-radiation/ -QQuerius_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
02:01 PM
2
02
01
PM
PDT}

Here's a better explanation of Cherenkov radiation
Cherenkov radiation Alternate titles: Cherenkov light By The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Edit History Cherenkov radiation emitted by the core of the Reed Research Reactor located at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, U.S. Cherenkov radiation Cherenkov radiation, light produced by charged particles when they pass through an optically transparent medium at speeds greater than the speed of light in that medium. Devices sensitive to this particular form of radiation, called Cherenkov detectors, have been used extensively to detect the presence of charged subatomic particles moving at high velocities. Cherenkov radiation, when it is intense, appears as a weak bluish white glow in the pools of water shielding some nuclear reactors. The Cherenkov radiation in cases such as this is caused by electrons from the reactor traveling at speeds greater than the speed of light in water, which is 75 percent of the speed of light in a vacuum. The energetic charged particle traveling through the medium displaces electrons in some of the atoms along its path. The electromagnetic radiation that is emitted by the displaced atomic electrons combines to form a strong electromagnetic wave analogous to the bow wave caused by a power boat traveling faster than the speed of water waves or to the shock wave (sonic boom) produced by an airplane traveling faster than the speed of sound in air. The phenomenon was discovered by the Soviet physicist Pavel A. Cherenkov in 1934 and was explained by Ilya M. Frank and Igor Y. Tamm in 1937.
[My emphasis.]Viola Lee_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
12:07 PM
12
12
07
PM
PDT}

Viola Lee to Sev at 28: a difficult question for theologians! ?
How would you know since you are not theologian? :)Sandy_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
12:07 PM
12
12
07
PM
PDT}

Relatd: But forget that, we now know particles can travel faster than the speed of light.
Do you have a reference for any particle travelling faster than 299,792,458 m/s?Sir Giles_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
11:23 AM
11
11
23
AM
PDT}

to Sev at 28: a difficult question for theologians! :-)Viola Lee_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
11:20 AM
11
11
20
AM
PDT}

Thanks, relatd: You write, "Einstein’s equation was a straight, linear progression." What equation are you talking about? Can you explain more? Here a couple of links that will help you understand better: (Oddly enough, these are insecure sites, so you may have to cut and paste the url in. ) Does Cerenkov radiation travel faster than light? (Intermediate) curious.astro.cornell.edu/about-us/142-physics/the-theory-of-relativity/the-speed-of-light/1038-does-cerenkov-radiation-travel-faster-than-light-intermediate”t/1038-does-cerenkov-radiation-travel-faster-than-light-intermediate Has there been an experiment that measured speed faster than the speed of light in vacuum? (Advanced) curious.astro.cornell.edu/about-us/133-physics/general-physics/general-questions/801-has-there-been-an-experiment-that-measured-speed-faster-than-the-speed-of-light-in-vacuum-advanced The basic fact is this, from the second article: “When we say that no particle can travel faster than the speed of light, what we mean is that a particle with finite rest mass cannot cross the speed of light limit; in other words, it cannot speed up to faster than speed of light starting from a speed less than the speed of light.” Also, it is important to note that light travels slower in various media. That is why a stick looks crooked when you stick it part way in water. Light follows the principle of least time, so it actually takes a long, bent path to get to your eye to compensate for travelling slower in water. I used to teach this in calculus class as an important application of finding the minimum of a function.Viola Lee_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
11:19 AM
11
11
19
AM
PDT}

Ba77 at 25, When Einstein was formulating his theories, he lacked knowledge about certain things. I propose that the speed of light barrier is false. Einstein's equation was a straight, linear progression. And of course, it ended at a very high, "impossible" number. Example: "Cosmic rays, which are ultra-high energy particles originating from all over the Universe, strike... [+] The fast-moving charged particles also emit light due to Cherenkov radiation as they move faster than the speed of light in Earth's atmosphere, and produce secondary particles that can be detected here on Earth." If Einstein knew this when he was formulating his theories, what would he have done? But forget that, we now know particles can travel faster than the speed of light.relatd_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
11:00 AM
11
11
00
AM
PDT}

Viola Lee/27
JVL, Christians do believe math is discovered not invented. And yes, Christians would believe God would know all those numbers. That is pretty orthodox theological philosophy of math.
Does the theological philosophy of math hold that God discovered math or that he invented it?Seversky_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
09:50 AM
9
09
50
AM
PDT}

JVL, Christians do believe math is discovered not invented. And yes, Christians would believe God would know all those numbers. That is pretty orthodox theological philosophy of math.Viola Lee_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
05:46 AM
5
05
46
AM
PDT}

Bornagain77: And yet the Higg’s field itself, by which particles receive their mass, (and apparently to the consternation of Atheistic Naturalists) Really. It's a wonder not one of them has decided to become a Christian then isn't it? “Every number is defined by its own character so that no number is equal to any other. They are unequal to one another and are different, and the individual numbers are finite, but as a class they are infinite. Does that mean that God does not know all numbers, because of their infinity? Does God’s knowledge extend as far as a certain sum, and end there? No one could be insane enough to say that. Now those philosophers who revere the authority of Plato will not despise numbers and say that they are irreverent to God’s knowledge, For Plato emphasizes that God constructed the world by use of numbers, while we have the authority of Scripture, where God is thus addressed, “You have set all things in order all things by number, measure, and weight.” And the prophet says of God, “He produces the world according to number’. And the Savior says in the Gospel, “Your hairs are all numbered”. Never let us doubt then that every number is known to him “whose understanding cannot be numbered”. Although the infinite series of numbers cannot be numbered, this infinity of numbers is not outside the comprehension of him “whose understanding cannot be numbered”.” What does that mean: every number is known to him? Are we talking every single real number? Every single rational number? Every single irrational number? Every single transfinite number? Every single hyper-real number? Every single complex number? Every single cardinal number? Every single ordinal number? There are a lot of different kinds of numbers. I guess if God already knew about all those then Christians should believe that mathematics is discovered not invented.JVL_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
05:14 AM
5
05
14
AM
PDT}

Of note to 'mass', (which prevents atomic particles from ever reaching the speed of light),,,
39:00 minute mark: “Mass turns out not to be an intrinsic property of matter either” (mass is a phenomenological artifact of field interactions, i.e. specifically ‘otherwise massless particles’ interacting with the Higg’s field) – Bruce Gordon: – The Incompatibility of Physicalism with Physics: A Conversation with Dr. Bruce Gordon https://youtu.be/wk-UO81HmO4?t=2344 Focus: Nobel Prize—Why Particles Have Mass - October 11, 2013 Excerpt: Subsequent work showed that the Brout-Englert-Higgs mechanism (or “Higgs mechanism,” for short) could give mass not only to weak particles, but also to electrons, quarks, and other fundamental particles. The more strongly a particle interacts with the Higgs field, the more massive it is. https://physics.aps.org/articles/v6/111
And yet the Higg's field itself, by which particles receive their mass, (and apparently to the consternation of Atheistic Naturalists), provides evidence for Intelligent Design in that the Higg's field is found to be finely tuned. i.e. "Why the strength of the Higgs field is so ridiculously weak defies understanding",,, "This is an unacceptable prediction of the theory because if this had happened we wouldn't be around to discuss it"
The 2 most dangerous numbers in the universe are threatening the end of physics - Jan. 14, 2016 Excerpt: Dangerous No. 1: The strength of the Higgs field,,, there's something mysterious about the Higgs field that continues to perturb physicists like Cliff. According to Einstein's theory of general relativity and the theory of quantum mechanics — the two theories in physics that drive our understanding of the cosmos on incredibly large and extremely small scales — the Higgs field should be performing one of two tasks, says Cliff. Either it should be turned off, meaning it would have a strength value of zero and wouldn't be working to give particles mass, or it should be turned on, and, as the theory goes, this "on value" is "absolutely enormous," Cliff says. But neither of those two scenarios are what physicists observe. "In reality, the Higgs field is just slightly on," says Cliff. "It's not zero, but it's ten-thousand-trillion times weaker than it's fully on value — a bit like a light switch that got stuck just before the 'off' position. And this value is crucial. If it were a tiny bit different, then there would be no physical structure in the universe." Why the strength of the Higgs field is so ridiculously weak defies understanding.,,, http://finance.yahoo.com/news/two-most-dangerous-numbers-universe-194557366.html Should the Higgs boson have caused our Universe to collapse? Excerpt: Our Universe lies in a ‘valley’, which sets the behaviour of the Higgs boson. A deeper valley also exists, but our Universe is prevented from entering it by a large ‘hill’. During the early period of cosmic inflation, the BICEP2 results imply that the Universe would have received a ‘kick’ into the other valley, causing it to collapse in less than a second.,,, Measurements of the Higgs boson have allowed particle physicists to show that our universe sits in a valley of the 'Higgs field', which describes the way that other particles have mass. However, there is a different valley which is much deeper, but our universe is preventing from falling into it by a large energy barrier. The problem is that the BICEP2 results predict that the universe would have received large 'kicks' during the cosmic inflation phase, pushing it into the other valley of the Higgs field within a fraction of a second. If that had happened, the universe would have quickly collapsed in a Big Crunch. "This is an unacceptable prediction of the theory because if this had happened we wouldn't be around to discuss it" said Hogan, who is a PhD student at KCL and led the study. http://phys.org/news/2014-06-higgs-boson-universe-collapse.html
Verse:
Wisdom 11:20 - (NIV) ,,, But you have set all things in right order by proportion: by measure, by number, and by weight.
Supplemental note:
“Every number is defined by its own character so that no number is equal to any other. They are unequal to one another and are different, and the individual numbers are finite, but as a class they are infinite. Does that mean that God does not know all numbers, because of their infinity? Does God’s knowledge extend as far as a certain sum, and end there? No one could be insane enough to say that. Now those philosophers who revere the authority of Plato will not despise numbers and say that they are irreverent to God’s knowledge, For Plato emphasizes that God constructed the world by use of numbers, while we have the authority of Scripture, where God is thus addressed, “You have set all things in order all things by number, measure, and weight.” And the prophet says of God, “He produces the world according to number’. And the Savior says in the Gospel, “Your hairs are all numbered”. Never let us doubt then that every number is known to him “whose understanding cannot be numbered”. Although the infinite series of numbers cannot be numbered, this infinity of numbers is not outside the comprehension of him “whose understanding cannot be numbered”.” – St. Augustine – “City of God” – 12th Book, 19th Chapter – Infinity: Aristotle, St. Augustine, Cantor, Gödel – video – 31:29 minute mark https://youtu.be/SMt2VtjMfrU?t=1889 St. Augustine on the infinite Mind of God surpassing mathematical infinity (and the insight of Godel's incompleteness) Sept. 2022 - https://uncommondescent.com/cosmology/from-iai-news-how-infinity-threatens-cosmology/#comment-765873
bornagain77_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
03:17 AM
3
03
17
AM
PDT}

While we are on the subject of the speed of light, (and/or the inability of objects with mass to reach the speed of light, i.e. the "Cosmic Speed Limit"), here is something that makes you go "wow, that's cool"...
Researchers develop way to control speed of light, send it backward - April 4, 2019 Excerpt: Previous attempts at controlling the speed of light have included passing light through various materials to adjust its speed. The new technique, however, allows the speed to be adjusted for the first time in the open, without using any pass-through material to speed it up or slow it down. "This is the first clear demonstration of controlling the speed of a pulse light in free space,",,, Abouraddy and study co-author Esat Kondakci demonstrated they could speed a pulse of light up to 30 times the speed of light, slow it down to half the speed of light, and also make the pulse travel backward. The researchers were able to develop the technique by using a special device known as a spatial light modulator to mix the space and time properties of light, thereby allowing them to control the velocity of the pulse of light. The mixing of the two properties was key to the technique's success. "We're able to control the speed of the pulse by going into the pulse itself and reorganizing its energy such that its space and time degrees of freedom are mixed in with each other," Abouraddy said. https://phys.org/news/2019-04-researchers-develop-way-to-control.html Optical space-time wave packets having arbitrary group velocities in free space - 2019 H. Esat Kondakci & Ayman F. Abouraddy Abstract Controlling the group velocity of an optical pulse typically requires traversing a material or structure whose dispersion is judiciously crafted. Alternatively, the group velocity can be modified in free space by spatially structuring the beam profile, but the realizable deviation from the speed of light in vacuum is small. Here we demonstrate precise and versatile control over the group velocity of a propagation-invariant optical wave packet in free space through sculpting its spatio-temporal spectrum. By jointly modulating the spatial and temporal degrees of freedom, arbitrary group velocities are unambiguously observed in free space above or below the speed of light in vacuum, whether in the forward direction propagating away from the source or even traveling backwards towards it. Introduction The publication of Einstein’s seminal work on special relativity initiated an investigation of the speed of light in materials featuring strong chromatic dispersion1. Indeed, the group velocity vg of an optical pulse in a resonant dispersive medium can deviate significantly from the speed of light in vacuum c, without posing a challenge to relativistic causality when vg?>?c because the information speed never exceeds c1,2.,,, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-08735-8
bornagain77_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
01:45 AM
1
01
45
AM
PDT}

Relatd: I don’t agree with any of that. You have the right to be completely wrong if you wish. But it doesn't mean anyone will take you seriously. Just sayin'.JVL_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
01:14 AM
1
01
14
AM
PDT}

Relatd: As a spacecraft reaches 90% of the speed of light, it begins to turn into energy. E=MC2. What? Are you serious? No one, except you, ever said that. That's not how to interpret that equation. You can't even interpret a simple equation correctly!! Incredible.JVL_{November 13, 2022
November
11
Nov
13
13
2022
12:20 AM
12
12
20
AM
PDT}

Q, I know about the Lorentz transformations. I know how to derive them from the results of the Michelson-Morley experiments. I quote the formula for mass in my above quote from an article on relativistic mass. I think Sev is talking about how mass increases as velocity increases according to the Lorentz transforms. As velocity increases so does mass, and since the effect of energy on velocity is proportional to mass, the faster something goes the harder it is is to add enough energy to continue to increase its velocity That is why the Britannica article says, "In fact, as the spacecraft’s speed approaches that of light, the mass m approaches infinity. However, as the object’s mass increases, so does the energy required to keep accelerating it; thus, it would take infinite energy to accelerate a material body to the speed of light. For this reason, no material object can reach the speed of light, which is the speed limit for the universe" Do you agree with what I wrote and what the Britannica article says?Viola Lee_{November 12, 2022
November
11
Nov
12
12
2022
09:11 PM
9
09
11
PM
PDT}

Viola Lee, No, I don't do "homework assignments" for you anymore. Check out something called "the Lorentz factor" involved in relativistic mass. -QQuerius_{November 12, 2022
November
11
Nov
12
12
2022
08:42 PM
8
08
42
PM
PDT}

I don't think relatd understands a number of things correctly. First, let me quote Britannica, from the first part of here.
Relativistic mass Cosmic speed limit To derive further results, Einstein combined his redefinitions of time and space with two powerful physical principles: conservation of energy and conservation of mass, which state that the total amount of each remains constant in a closed system. Einstein’s second postulate ensured that these laws remained valid for all observers in the new theory, and he used them to derive the relativistic meanings of mass and energy. One result is that the mass of a body increases with its speed. An observer on a moving body, such as a spacecraft, measures its so-called rest mass m0, while a fixed observer measures its mass m as “rest mass/sqrt(1 - v^2/c^2), which is greater than m0. In fact, as the spacecraft’s speed approaches that of light, the mass m approaches infinity. However, as the object’s mass increases, so does the energy required to keep accelerating it; thus, it would take infinite energy to accelerate a material body to the speed of light. For this reason, no material object can reach the speed of light, which is the speed limit for the universe. (Light itself can attain this speed because the rest mass of a photon, the quantum particle of light, is zero.) Einstein’s treatment of mass showed that the increased relativistic mass comes from the energy of motion of the body—that is, its kinetic energy E—divided by c^2. This is the origin of the famous equation E = mc2, which expresses the fact that mass and energy are the same physical entity and can be changed into each other.
Now some specifics: 1. Related writes, “As a spacecraft reaches 90% of the speed of light, it begins to turn into energy. E=MC2. If matter can be interpreted as traveling at the speed of light squared, which cannot be shown to be true. The speed of light is given as 186,000 miles per second. Double that and it becomes 372,000 miles per second.” a) This paragraph makes little sense. Matter can’t be “interpreted as traveling at the speed of light squared,” nor can the speed of light be doubled: nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. As the Britannica article points out, as speed increase mass increases. Nothing special happens at 90% the speed of light: every increase in the speed increases the mass. Sev explains all this correctly. 2. The second quote of relatd’s about the phase transition at 90% the speed of light does sound like science fiction. For instance, related writes, “Once past the speed of light ...” But nothing can go faster than the speed of light. Relatd, do you have a source for your understandings about all this. And Q: you write
Seversky @16,
By the equivalence of mass and energy, when energy is added to an object, it’s mass is also increased. As the mass of an object increases it takes ever more energy to make it go faster.
No, that’s completely wrong. Check into something called “relativistic mass.”
I just posted an article on relativistic mass that I think says what Sev is saying. Can you explain what is “completely wrong” about that, and perhaps explain what you think is right?Viola Lee_{November 12, 2022
November
11
Nov
12
12
2022
07:51 PM
7
07
51
PM
PDT}

Seversky @16,
By the equivalence of mass and energy, when energy is added to an object, it’s mass is also increased. As the mass of an object increases it takes ever more energy to make it go faster.
No, that's completely wrong. Check into something called "relativistic mass." -QQuerius_{November 12, 2022
November
11
Nov
12
12
2022
07:06 PM
7
07
06
PM
PDT}

I don't agree with any of that.relatd_{November 12, 2022
November
11
Nov
12
12
2022
03:54 PM
3
03
54
PM
PDT}

Relatd/14
As a spacecraft reaches 90% of the speed of light, it begins to turn into energy. E=MC2. If matter can be interpreted as traveling at the speed of light squared, which cannot be shown to be true. The speed of light is given as 186,000 miles per second. Double that and it becomes 372,000 miles per second.
If an object in space is accelerated then energy is added to it. A moving object has more energy by virtue of its motion than a stationary object. By the equivalence of mass and energy, when energy is added to an object, it's mass is also increased. As the mass of an object increases it takes ever more energy to make it go faster. At the speeds we normally experience the effect is negligible but when you approach the speed of light it becomes significant, so much so that at the speed of light the mass of any physical object would become infinite and would require an infinite amount of energy to accelerate it any further. There isn't enough energy in the whole Universe to do that. The other effect is the dilation of time that occurs at relativistic speeds. Time would be observed by us to pass slower for an object travelling that fast. In effect, it would live longer. All the above effects have been observed in particle accelerators.
As the spacecraft reaches 90% of the speed of light, it experiences a phase transition. Like photons which can be waves or particles, it enters a phase transition. It would register not as solid matter but as a wave. However, the crew would experience nothing while in the wave state. They would look out a window and see the light from the stars begin to smear, as if the points of light now had tails. Once past the speed of light, the stars would turn into lines of varying lengths. The spacecraft is now traveling in a condition where further acceleration would pose no problems. It has transformed not from matter to energy but to a state I will call phase-shifted. Further, it has now entangled itself to its destination via the intentionality of those on board. Like a photon, it has particle and wave characteristics.
That sounds more like Star Trek physics than the real world version. That said, there is nothing wrong with speculation provided you don't give it more credence than could be justified by the evidence.Seversky_{November 12, 2022
November
11
Nov
12
12
2022
03:30 PM
3
03
30
PM
PDT}

PyrrhoManiac1 @6,
The second sentence is a sheer non sequitur from the first. If we could experience the universe at the speed of light, we would not experience time as we currently do — but that does not mean that we would experience all events as simultaneous. The speed of light still takes place within time — that’s the very point of “light-year” as a measure of distance.
As an object travels at relativistic speeds, time slows for that object relative to an observer according to the formula, T = T0/sqrt (1- (v^2/c^2)). As v (velocity) approaches c (the speed of light), v^2/c^2 approaches 1 and the denominator approaches infinity, thus T approaches infinity and we'd infer that time nearly stops from the object's frame of reference. I suppose one could argue that everything else would then seems to speed up, but funny things happen when one tries to divide by zero, so most physicists will refuse to go there. Of course, the speedy object would also be squashed flat according to a similar equation and the handy limerick: There once was a man named Fisk, Whose fencing was exceedingly brisk, So fast was his action that the Lorenz-FitzGerald contraction Reduced his rapier to a disk. -QQuerius_{November 12, 2022
November
11
Nov
12
12
2022
03:03 PM
3
03
03
PM
PDT}

Ba77 at 11, As a spacecraft reaches 90% of the speed of light, it begins to turn into energy. E=MC2. If matter can be interpreted as traveling at the speed of light squared, which cannot be shown to be true. The speed of light is given as 186,000 miles per second. Double that and it becomes 372,000 miles per second. The fastest spacecraft speed is 364,660 mph, which becomes 6,077.66 mpm, which becomes 101.294 miles per second. Since a spacecraft traveling near the speed of light would begin to experience friction from hydrogen atoms and should not get hit by particles the size of a grain of sand or larger, it would require a force field. Allow me to present a proposal: As the spacecraft reaches 90% of the speed of light, it experiences a phase transition. Like photons which can be waves or particles, it enters a phase transition. It would register not as solid matter but as a wave. However, the crew would experience nothing while in the wave state. They would look out a window and see the light from the stars begin to smear, as if the points of light now had tails. Once past the speed of light, the stars would turn into lines of varying lengths. The spacecraft is now traveling in a condition where further acceleration would pose no problems. It has transformed not from matter to energy but to a state I will call phase-shifted. Further, it has now entangled itself to its destination via the intentionality of those on board. Like a photon, it has particle and wave characteristics.relatd_{November 12, 2022
November
11
Nov
12
12
2022
02:32 PM
2
02
32
PM
PDT}

Ba77 at 10, Time passes for light. It takes 8 and a third minutes for the light from the sun to reach us. Photons have wave and particle characteristics.relatd_{November 12, 2022
November
11
Nov
12
12
2022
02:08 PM
2
02
08
PM
PDT}

In the following video, Barbara Springer gives her testimony as to what it felt like for her to go through the tunnel towards ‘the light’:
“I started to move toward the light. The way I moved, the physics, was completely different than it is here on Earth. It was something I had never felt before and never felt since. It was a whole different sensation of motion. I obviously wasn’t walking or skipping or crawling. I was not floating. I was flowing. I was flowing toward the light. I was accelerating and I knew I was accelerating, but then again, I didn’t really feel the acceleration. I just knew I was accelerating toward the light. Again, the physics was different – the physics of motion of time, space, travel. It was completely different in that tunnel, than it is here on Earth. I came out into the light and when I came out into the light, I realized that I was in heaven.” – Barbara Springer – (7:40 minute mark) Near-Death Experience Documentary: “Shadows: Perceptions of Near-Death Experiencers” https://youtu.be/HR0x57aMv-k?t=460
And in the following audio clip, Vicki Noratuk, who has been blind from birth, (besides being able to ‘miraculously” see for the very first time in her life during her Near Death Experience), Vicki also gives testimony of going through a tunnel at a ‘horrifically’ rapid rate of speed:
“I was in a body, and the only way that I can describe it was a body of energy, or of light. And this body had a form. It had a head, it had arms and it had legs. And it was like it was made out of light. And it was everything that was me. All of my memories, my consciousness, everything.”,,, “And then this vehicle formed itself around me. Vehicle is the only thing, or tube, or something, but it was a mode of transportation that’s for sure! And it formed around me. And there was no one in it with me. I was in it alone. But I knew there were other people ahead of me and behind me. What they were doing I don’t know, but there were people ahead of me and people behind me, but I was alone in my particular conveyance. And I could see out of it. And it went at a tremendously, horrifically, rapid rate of speed. But it wasn’t unpleasant. It was beautiful in fact.,, I was reclining in this thing, I wasn’t sitting straight up, but I wasn’t lying down either. I was sitting back. And it was just so fast. I can’t even begin to tell you where it went or whatever it was just fast!” – Vicki’s NDE – Blind since birth – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e65KhcCS5-Y
And in the following quotes, the two Near Death Experiencers both testify that they firmly believe that they were in a higher heavenly dimension that is above this three-dimensional world, and that the reason that they have a very difficult time describing what their Near Death Experiences actually felt like is because we simply don’t currently have the words to properly describe that higher dimension:
“Regardless, it is impossible for me to adequately describe what I saw and felt. When I try to recount my experiences now, the description feels very pale. I feel as though I’m trying to describe a three-dimensional experience while living in a two-dimensional world. The appropriate words, descriptions and concepts don’t even exist in our current language. I have subsequently read the accounts of other people’s near-death experiences and their portrayals of heaven and I able to see the same limitations in their descriptions and vocabulary that I see in my own.” – Mary C. Neal, MD – “To Heaven And Back” pg. 71 “Well, when I was taking geometry, they always told me there were only three dimensions, and I always just accepted that. But they were wrong. There are more… And that is why so hard for me to tell you this. I have to describe with words that are three-dimensional. That’s as close as I can get to it, but it’s really not adequate.” – John Burke – “Imagine Heaven” pg. 51 – quoting a Near Death Experiencer
That what we now know to be physically true from special relativity, (namely that it outlines a ‘timeless’, i.e. eternal, ‘dimension of light’ that exists above this temporal dimension), would fit hand and glove with the personal testimonies of people who have had a deep heavenly NDEs is, needless to say, powerful evidence that their testimonies are, in fact, true and reliable and that they are accurately describing the ‘reality’ of a higher heavenly dimension, that they experienced first hand, that physically exists above this temporal dimension. I would even go so far as to say that such corroboration from ‘non-physicists’, who, in all likelihood, know nothing about the details of special relativity, substantially adds to the overall validity of their personal NDE testimonies and thus substantially adds to the Christian’s claim for the reality of a heavenly ‘eternal’ paradise that exists above this temporal realm.
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Thus in conclusion Einstein himself may not have personally believed in life after death, (nor in a personal God), but Special Relativity itself, Einstein's own baby, directly contradicts Einstein and offers stunning confirmation that Near Death Testimonies are accurate ‘physical’ descriptions of what happens after death, of going to a ‘higher timeless/eternal dimension’, i.e. ‘heavenly dimension of light’, that exists above this temporal realm. All in all, and as far as modern science is concerned, I would say the Christian Theist is now sitting very comfortably as far as our most advanced science is concerned, As Michael Strauss stated in the following talk, "When you understand how limiting 3 dimensions of space and time are,, and when you understand relativity and quantum mechanics, the miracles of God become almost trivial",,,
"When you understand how limiting 3 dimensions of space and time are,, and when you understand relativity and quantum mechanics, the miracles of God become almost trivial",,, - Michael Strauss PhD in Particle Physics – Virtual Particles and Special Relativity https://youtu.be/l3kt-DKhlwc?t=96
Of supplemental note as to the 'main miracle' of Christianity, i.e. Jesus's victory over death turns out to be very plausible as the correct solution for the much sought after 'theory of everything'.
Oct. 30, 2022 - Thus in conclusion, and to repeat, when we rightly allow the Agent causality of God ‘back’ into physics, (as the Christian founders of modern science originally envisioned, Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, James Clerk Maxwell, and Max Planck, to name a few of the Christian founders,,,, and as quantum mechanics itself now empirically demands with the closing of the ‘freedom of choice’ loophole by Anton Zeilinger and company), then rightly allowing the Agent causality of God ‘back’ into physics provides us with a very plausible resolution for the much sought after ‘theory of everything’ in that Christ’s resurrection from the dead bridges the infinite mathematical divide that exists between General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics and provides us with a very plausible, empirically backed, reconciliation, (via the Shroud of Turin), between Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity into the much sought after ‘Theory of Everything”. https://uncommondescent.com/philosophy/at-quanta-magazine-how-godels-proof-works/#comment-768973 December 2021 – When scrutinizing some of the many fascinating details of the Shroud of Turin, we find that both General Relativity, i.e. gravity, and Quantum Mechanics were both dealt with in Christ’s resurrection from the dead. https://uncommondescent.com/intelligent-design/in-time-for-american-thanksgiving-stephen-meyer-on-the-frailty-of-scientific-atheism/#comment-741600
Verses:
Matthew 26:39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” Colossians 1:15-20 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
bornagain77_{November 12, 2022
November
11
Nov
12
12
2022
12:16 PM
12
12
16
PM
PDT}

And due, in large part, to Minkowski's work that properly elucidated the 'higher dimensional' framework of special relativity, we can now visualize what happens when a 'hypothetical observer' approaches the speed of light. In the first part of the following video clip, entitled ‘Optical Effects of Special Relativity”, a video which was made by two Australian University Physics Professors, we find that the 3-Dimensional world ‘folds and collapses’ into a tunnel shape as a ‘hypothetical’ observer approaches the ‘higher dimension’ of the ‘four-dimensional continuum’ of the speed of light.
Optical Effects of Special Relativity – video (full relativistic effects shown at 2:40 minute mark) https://youtu.be/JQnHTKZBTI4?t=160
Also please note, as was visualized at the 3:00 minute mark of the preceding video, that all of the light was concentrated into the direction of travel of the observer. This concentration of light in the direction of travel is termed the ‘headlight effect’
Relativistic aberration Relativistic aberration is the relativistic version of aberration of light, including relativistic corrections that become significant for observers who move with velocities close to the speed of light. It is described by Einstein’s special theory of relativity.,,, One consequence of this is that a forward observer should normally be expected to intercept a greater proportion of the object’s light than a rearward one; this concentration of light in the object’s forward direction is referred to as the “searchlight effect” (or headlight effect). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relativistic_aberration
Moreover, these higher dimensional 4-D spacetimes that undergird both special relativity and general relativity are also comforting to overall Christian concerns in that they reveal two very different ‘eternities’ to us. One ‘eternity’ is found for a hypothetical observer who is going the speed of light, and another ‘eternity’ is found for a hypothetical observer falling to the event horizon of a black hole.
Time dilation Excerpt: Time dilation: special vs. general theories of relativity: In Albert Einstein’s theories of relativity, time dilation in these two circumstances can be summarized: 1. –In special relativity (or, hypothetically far from all gravitational mass), clocks that are moving with respect to an inertial system of observation are measured to be running slower. (i.e. For any observer accelerating, hypothetically, to the speed of light, time, as we understand it, will come to a complete stop.) 2.–In general relativity, clocks at lower potentials in a gravitational field—such as in closer proximity to a planet—are found to be running slower. (i.e. For any observer falling to the event horizon of a black-hole, time, as we understand it, will come to a complete stop.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_dilation
Again, the finding that time, as we understand it, comes to a complete stop at the speed of light, (and at the event horizon of a black hole), is very friendly to Theistic presuppositions about ‘eternity’ and/or ‘eternal life’. As Dr. Richard Swenson noted in his book “More Than Meets The Eye”, “The laws of relativity have changed timeless existence from a theological claim to a physical reality. Light, you see, is outside of time, a fact of nature proven in thousands of experiments at hundreds of universities. I don’t pretend to know how tomorrow can exist simultaneously with today and yesterday. But at the speed of light they actually and rigorously do. Time does not pass.”
“The laws of relativity have changed timeless existence from a theological claim to a physical reality. Light, you see, is outside of time, a fact of nature proven in thousands of experiments at hundreds of universities. I don’t pretend to know how tomorrow can exist simultaneously with today and yesterday. But at the speed of light they actually and rigorously do. Time does not pass.” – Richard Swenson – More Than Meets The Eye, Chpt. 11
Now that we have outlined the basics of what we know to be physically true from special relativity, (and from General Relativity), It is very interesting to note that many of the characteristics found in ‘heavenly’ Near Death Experience testimonies are exactly what we would expect to see from what we now know to be physically true about Special Relativity. But first and foremost, before we get into that comparison, it is important to note that, (although atheists dismiss Near Death testimonies out of hand as not being worthy of consideration), the evidence for the validity of Near Death Experiences turns out to be far more robust and trustworthy than the evidence for Darwinian evolution is. As Dr. Michael Egnor noted, “The most “parsimonious” explanation — the simplest scientific explanation — is that the (Near Death) experience was real. Tens of millions of people have had such experiences. That is tens of millions of more times than we have observed the origin of species , (or the origin of life, or the origin of a protein/gene, or of a molecular machine), which is never.,,,”
Near-Death Experiences: Putting a Darwinist’s Evidentiary Standards to the Test – Dr. Michael Egnor – October 15, 2012 Excerpt: Indeed, about 20 percent of NDE’s are corroborated, which means that there are independent ways of checking about the veracity of the experience. The patients knew of things that they could not have known except by extraordinary perception — such as describing details of surgery that they watched while their heart was stopped, etc. Additionally, many NDE’s have a vividness and a sense of intense reality that one does not generally encounter in dreams or hallucinations.,,, The most “parsimonious” explanation — the simplest scientific explanation — is that the (Near Death) experience was real. Tens of millions of people have had such experiences. That is tens of millions of more times than we have observed the origin of species , (or the origin of life, or the origin of a protein/gene, or of a molecular machine), which is never.,,, The materialist reaction, in short, is unscientific and close-minded. NDE’s show fellows like Coyne at their sneering unscientific irrational worst. Somebody finds a crushed fragment of a fossil and it’s earth-shaking evidence. Tens of million of people have life-changing spiritual experiences and it’s all a big yawn. Note: Dr. Egnor is professor and vice-chairman of neurosurgery at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. http://www.evolutionnews.org/2012/10/near_death_expe_1065301.html
In fact, the main debate between ID advocates and Darwinists is over the sheer inability of unguided Darwinian processes to account for the origin of the functional 'immaterial' information that is found to be ubiquitous within biological life. And yet, it is the 'immaterial' nature of this information that is found to be ubiquitous within biological life that provides the Christian Theist with a 'soul', and/or a mechanism if you will, in order to explain how Near Death Experiences are possible.
Nov. 2022 - Personally, I consider these recent findings from quantum mechanics and quantum biology to rival all other scientific discoveries over the past century. Surpassing even the discovery of a beginning of the universe, via Big Bang cosmology, in terms of scientific, theological, and even personal, significance. To repeat, and as Jesus once asked his disciples along with a crowd of followers, “Is anything worth more than your soul?” https://uncommondescent.com/mind/at-evolution-news-does-a-new-scientific-study-offer-evidence-of-life-after-death/#comment-769693 ,,, also see "biophotons"
Now as to how NDEs and special relativity correspond. Many times people who have had a deep Near Death Experience mention that their perception of time was radically altered. In the following video clip, Mickey Robinson gives his Near Death testimony of what it felt like for him to experience a ‘timeless eternity’.
‘In the ‘spirit world,,, instantly, there was no sense of time. See, everything on earth is related to time. You got up this morning, you are going to go to bed tonight. Something is new, it will get old. Something is born, it’s going to die. Everything on the physical plane is relative to time, but everything in the spiritual plane is relative to eternity. Instantly I was in total consciousness and awareness of eternity, and you and I as we live in this earth cannot even comprehend it, because everything that we have here is filled within the veil of the temporal life. In the spirit life that is more real than anything else and it is awesome. Eternity as a concept is awesome. There is no such thing as time. I knew that whatever happened was going to go on and on.’ In The Presence Of Almighty God – The NDE of Mickey Robinson – video (testimony starts at 27:45 minute mark) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voak1RM-pXo
And here are a few more quotes from people who have had deep Near Death Experiences, that speak of how their perception of time was radically altered, i.e. how they experienced ‘eternity’, as they were outside of their material, temporal, body during their NDEs.
‘Earthly time has no meaning in the spirit realm. There is no concept of before or after. Everything – past, present, future – exists simultaneously.’ – Kimberly Clark Sharp – Near Death Experiencer ‘There is no way to tell whether minutes, hours or years go by. Existence is the only reality and it is inseparable from the eternal now.’ – John Star – NDE Experiencer
As well, people who have had deep Near Death Experiences also frequently mention going through a tunnel, towards an extremely brilliant light, to a higher heavenly dimension:
Ask the Experts: What Is a Near-Death Experience (NDE)? – article with video Excerpt: “Very often as they’re moving through the tunnel, there’s a very bright mystical light … not like a light we’re used to in our earthly lives. People call this mystical light, brilliant like a million times a million suns…” – Jeffrey Long M.D. – has studied NDE’s extensively The Tunnel and the Near-Death Experience Excerpt: One of the nine elements that generally occur during NDEs is the tunnel experience. This involves being drawn into darkness through a tunnel, at an extremely high speed, until reaching a realm of radiant golden-white light. https://near-death.com/tunnel/
bornagain77_{November 12, 2022
November
11
Nov
12
12
2022
12:15 PM
12
12
15
PM
PDT}

Einstein's breakthrough insight into special relativity came from a 'thought experiment'. A 'thought experiment' where he imagined he was traveling away from the face of a clock tower at the speed of light. And where, "Einstein looks back at the clock tower and what he sees is astonishing. As he reaches the speed of light, the hands of the clock appear frozen in time"
“In the spring of 1905, Einstein was riding on a bus and he looked back at the famous clock tower that dominates Bern Switzerland. And then he imagined, “What happens if that bus were racing near the speed of light?”, (narrator: “In his imagination, Einstein looks back at the clock tower and what he sees is astonishing. As he reaches the speed of light, the hands of the clock appear frozen in time”), “Einstein would later write, “A storm broke in my mind. All of the sudden everything, everything, kept gushing forward.”, (narrator: “Einstein knows that, back at the clock tower, time is passing normally, but on Einstein’s light speed bus, as he reaches the speed of light, the light from the clock can no longer catch up to him. The faster he races through space, the slower he moves through time. This insight sparks the birth of Einstein’s Special Theory of relativity, which says that space and time are deeply connected. In fact, they are one and the same. A flexible fabric called spacetime.”) – Michio Kaku Einstein: Einstein’s Miracle Year (‘Insight into Eternity’ – Thought Experiment – 6:29 minute mark) – video https://youtu.be/QQ35opgrhNA?t=389
And, of course, without the passage of time if we were traveling the speed of light, then that means that our travel from point A to point B in this universe, no matter how many light-years we traveled in this universe, would be instantaneous for us. i.e. It is as if no passage of time whatsoever has happened for, say, the photons now hitting our telescopes that were left over from the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) 13.4 billion years ago. That time, as we understand it, comes to a complete stop at the speed of light, and yet light moves from point A to point B in our universe, and thus light is thus obviously not ‘frozen within time’, has some fairly profound implications. The only way that it is possible for time not to pass for light, and yet for light to move from point A to point B in our universe, is, fairly obviously, if light is of some ‘higher dimensional’ value of time than the temporal time we are currently living in. Otherwise light would simply be ‘frozen within time’ from our temporal frame of reference. Time not passing for light would simply be impossible if light were part and parcel to our temporal 3-Dimensional framework. ,,, And leaving aside the fact that, according to quantum mechanics, we do not really know what a photon is actually doing between emission and absorption,,
"We know what the particle is doing at the source when it is created. We know what it is doing at the detector when it is registered. But we do not know what it is doing in-between." - Anton Zeilinger Prof Anton Zeilinger Shows the Double-slit Experiment – video http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xgt69p_prof-anton-zeilinger-shows-the-double-slit-experiment_tech "The path taken by the photon is not an element of reality. We are not allowed to talk about the photon passing through this or this slit. Neither are we allowed to say the photon passes through both slits. All this kind of language is not applicable." - Anton Zeilinger Quantum Mechanics - Double Slit Experiment. Is anything real? (Prof. Anton Zeilinger) - video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayvbKafw2g0
,,, And leaving aside the fact that, according to quantum mechanics, (since the photon, between emission and absorption, is mathematically defined as existing in a 'infinite dimensional' state, and that it, mathematically, takes an infinite amount of information to describe that ''infinite dimensional' state of the photon properly), the photon is best described as being one of 'God's infinite thoughts' between emission and absorption,,,
February 2022 - In essence, the wave function is, basically, mathematically described as being one of “God’s thoughts’ prior to its collapse to its finite state. Which is rather stunning confirmation of the Christian’s contention, (via Neoplatonic philosophy and Augustinian theology), that the (higher dimensional) mathematics that are found to describe this universe really are “God’s thoughts”. Just as was originally held by the Christian founders of modern science. https://uncommondescent.com/intelligent-design/at-mind-matters-news-why-would-a-purely-physical-universe-need-imaginary-numbers/#comment-747131
,,, Leaving all those 'minor details' aside, although it is intuitively obvious that light must exist some 'higher dimensional' framework in order for time to not pass for light, Einstein was not the first person who figured out the 'higher 4-dimensional' framework that light must exist in. It was Hermann Minkowski, (Einstein's math professor), building off the work of Bernhard Riemann, (who was a devout Christian by the way), who worked out the higher 4-dimensional geometry that special relativity is based upon.
Pay attention, Albert Einstein - January 1993 Excerpt: In 1905 Einstein presented his ideas to the world in the form of a mathematical theory, based on equations. It did not, however, make much impact. Indeed, the scientific community only really began to sit up and take notice after Hermann Minkowski gave a lecture in Cologne in 1908 in which he took Einstein’s algebraic equations and expressed them in terms of geometry. The equations of motion in special relativity involve four parameters, which describe the location of an object with the three coordinates of three-dimensional space, plus another coordinate representing time. Minkowski’s powerful insight was to combine space and time on the same geometrical footing. Space and time, we learn, are part of one four-dimensional entity, space-time. In this way the special theory of relativity, dealing with objects that move in straight lines at constant velocities, can be explained in terms of the geometry of a flat, four-dimensional surface. Minkowski also realised that the equations that describe such curious phenomena as, for example, the way moving clocks run slower and moving objects shrink are, in essence, the familiar equations of Pythagoras’s theorem, extended to four dimensions, and with the minor subtlety that the time dimension is measured in a negative direction (see Inside Science, number 49). Minkowski’s geometrical description undoubtedly improved the clarity of the special theory and is still regarded as the best way to understand it.,,, There is a delicious irony in all this. Minkowski had been one of Einstein’s teachers at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich at the end of the 19th century. Just a few years before Einstein came up with the special theory, Minkowski had described him as a ‘lazy dog’ who ‘never bothered about mathematics at all’. The lazy dog himself (Einstein) was not, at first, impressed by the imposition of geometry on special relativity, and took some time to appreciate the significance for his future work. Indeed, it was only when prodded by his friend and colleague Marcel Grossman that he realised Minkowski’s insight provided him with the mathematical tools he needed to develop his new theory of gravity, and in particular to describe the notion of curved space-time.,,, ‘Everybody knows’ that Einstein was the first person to describe the curvature of space in this way – but ‘everybody’ is wrong. Einstein was not even the second person to think about the possibility of space in our Universe being curved, and he had to be pushed along the path by others, including Grossman. He persuaded Einstein that the multidimensional geometry developed by 19th-century mathematicians might explain how light could be affected by gravity.,,, ,,, it was Bernhard Riemann, a pupil of Gauss, who realised the possibility of yet another variation on the theme, the geometry that applies on the closed surface of a sphere (including the surface of the Earth). In spherical geometry, the angles of a triangle always add up to more than 180 degree, and although all ‘lines of longitude’ cross the equator at right angles, and must therefore be parallel to one another, they do not stay same distance apart and all cross each other at the poles.,,, https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg13718543-900-pay-attention-albert-einstein/ Spacetime Excerpt: In 1908, Hermann Minkowski—once one of the math professors of a young Einstein in Zurich—presented a geometric interpretation of special relativity that fused time and the three spatial dimensions of space into a single four-dimensional continuum now known as Minkowski space. A key feature of this interpretation is the definition of a spacetime interval that combines distance and time. Although measurements of distance and time between events differ for measurements made in different reference frames, the spacetime interval is independent of the inertial frame of reference in which they are recorded. Minkowski’s geometric interpretation of relativity was to prove vital to Einstein’s development of his 1915 general theory of relativity, wherein he showed that spacetime becomes curved in the presence of mass or energy.,,, Einstein, for his part, was initially dismissive of Minkowski’s geometric interpretation of special relativity, regarding it as überflüssige Gelehrsamkeit (superfluous learnedness). However, in order to complete his search for general relativity that started in 1907, the geometric interpretation of relativity proved to be vital, and in 1916, Einstein fully acknowledged his indebtedness to Minkowski, whose interpretation greatly facilitated the transition to general relativity.[10]:151–152 Since there are other types of spacetime, such as the curved spacetime of general relativity, the spacetime of special relativity is today known as Minkowski spacetime. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacetime The Mathematics Of Higher Dimensionality - Gauss & Riemann https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxy3JhPRlV0
bornagain77_{November 12, 2022
November
11
Nov
12
12
2022
12:14 PM
12
12
14
PM
PDT}

And just to add a dash of chaos to the pot... You do know that we have never measured the one way speed of light. Maybe it's infinitely fast in one direction and you're seeing that galaxy as it is now. Furtively leaves....stage left.Latemarch_{November 12, 2022
November
11
Nov
12
12
2022
06:10 AM
6
06
10
AM
PDT}

Prev 1 2 3 Next

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Light from the time of the dinosaurs

False simultaneity

Leave a Reply