From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,9fbc059a74d74032 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-05-31 09:53:44 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!newsfeed.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!cambridge1-snf1.gtei.net!news.gtei.net!bos-service1.ext.raytheon.com!bos-service2.ext.raytheon.com.POSTED!not-for-mail Message-ID: <3B167715.AA497455@ftw.rsc.raytheon.com> From: Wes Groleau X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.75 [en] (WinNT; U) X-Accept-Language: en,es,fr,pt MIME-Version: 1.0 Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: OT: Relativity misunderstood References: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 11:53:41 -0500 NNTP-Posting-Host: 151.168.144.162 X-Complaints-To: news@ext.ray.com X-Trace: bos-service2.ext.raytheon.com 991328024 151.168.144.162 (Thu, 31 May 2001 12:53:44 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 12:53:44 EDT Organization: Raytheon Company Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:7942 Date: 2001-05-31T11:53:41-05:00 List-Id: > from epoch XXX" then no one will be early (if no one travels at too relativistic > speeds). ..... (To get a little off-topic) The pop culture notion that you can leave earth and return at near the speed of light, and find your great-great-great-grandchildren older than you is a misconception. 1. Special Relativity applies to two observers moving at an unchanging rate of speed relative to each other. If you leave and return, your velocity must change. 2. IF you meet the conditions of special relativity, the theory predicts that EACH observer will see the OTHER'S clock as faster by the same amount. So if you somehow found a way to get back together in spite of the constant relative velocity condition, you would say, "Hey, your clock is several Megaseconds fast." and he/she would respond, "No, YOUR clock is several Megaseconds fast." Unfortunately, "pop culture" includes many sci-fi writers and even several science NON-fiction writers, who keep perpetuating this thing like an urban legend. Even worse is the notion that black holes are the answer to interstellar travel. -- Wes Groleau http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~wgroleau