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Atomic clocks are extremely accurate clocks that can measure billionths of a second. In 1971, scientists used these clocks to test Einstein's ideas. 1 atomic clock was set up on the ground, while another was sent around the world on a jet traveling at 600 mph. At the start, both clocks showed exactly the same time. After the jet returned though, it was a few billionths of a second behind.
Later in history scientists put 4 clocks according to the same atom out there; one in california, one on the east coast, one on a train and one on a jet traveling faster than the speed of sound. After the jet traveled around the world, faster than the speed of sound, the clocks on the west and east coast were the same. The clock on the train was 1 minute behind and the clock on the jet was a full 10 minutes behind.
Based on this theory, some scientists believe if you could travel at or close to the speed of light to and back from a planet, you would be gone 1 year, but 100 years on earth would pass

2007-01-20 12:06:22 · 5 answers · asked by Julia 4 in Science & Mathematics Physics

So, basically, it's like going to the future. What is your thoughts on this?

2007-01-20 12:06:47 · update #1

5 answers

that is just like the theory that if you were able to place yourself on the edge of the event horizon of a black hole that time would slow down for you, but in fact time would progress as normal in the rest of the universe. So that it was all said and done if you were there for 1 day 100 days would pass. It would be interesting, but you would need to come to grips with the fact that everyone you knew and loved and everything you knew would more than likely be gone.

2007-01-20 12:17:47 · answer #1 · answered by darkmagicianboi1 2 · 1 0

A form of time travel, yes. But I think it's still important to keep in mind that time is NOT absolute, but relative. For those people on board the supersonic plane the rate of time moved precisely as always; the atomic clock 'ticked' away normally, and their bodies aged exactly as if they'd stayed behind with any of the other clocks.

A much simpler example might be this --
Here on the west coast it's 5:45 pm, but in New York City it's 8:45 pm. Now, which time is the "right" time? Of course they both are correct because there's no Cosmic Master Clock that ticks off the right time for the entire universe.

Just more food for thought : )

2007-01-20 12:47:01 · answer #2 · answered by Chug-a-Lug 7 · 0 0

well its true the faster you go the slower time goes however this is ohw time travel is possible the only problem is you can go one way so lets say you go fly into space on a rocket and come back in 90 years I would have a grey beard and you would not have aged a bit of course you would have to travel at the speed of light however if you travel faster which would require an unthinkable amount of energy and came back to earth you could end up returning before you left

hope that helps cheers

2007-01-20 14:42:22 · answer #3 · answered by Concorde 4 · 0 0

All of your conclusions and examples in your question are absolutely correct. And what's even more impressive is that the time lost (or gained, depending on your perspective) were exactly the same as Einstein had predicted. This dilation of time is often called the Lorentz Factor, 1 / sqrt(1-V^2/C^2).
And your example of the time "gained" on a traveler's return to earth is often referred to as "The Twin Paradox."

2007-01-20 12:37:33 · answer #4 · answered by LeAnne 7 · 0 0

this isn't any longer basically that the atomic clock variations, yet that it variations by potential of the precise quantities anticipated by potential of relativity, and besides to that we haven't any mechanism in our understand-how of the physics of the atom that could want to reason gravity to electrify the resonance in the way you propose. So in case you throw out the relativistic rationalization, you're going to ought to invent yet another new idea about the interaction of gravity and the electron that could want to offer the exact same predictions (because relativity idea predicts them precisely, to the barriers of experimental accuracy). Relativity change into used to foretell that the atomic clocks on GPS satellites might want to income 38 microseconds, 38000 nanoseconds, per day. guess what? They do, interior of +-10 ns or so. That 10 nsec is likely one of the outcome of such issues because the moon, solar and transformations in earth's gravity at different places.

2016-10-17 02:32:08 · answer #5 · answered by carrilo 4 · 0 0

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