[Socratic]

"If the force were applied in a straight line, then some measurable effect could be expected."

Straight line relative to what? Isn't that the point of relativity? If another watch on the other side of the centrifuge were to "look over" at the other one, they would each seem stationary to each other. (Actually I'd like to see more than one watch in that centrifuge, with its crystal aligned at 90 degrees to the first one to rule out physical deformation being the cause of any time change.) But, if it's the motion in space which causes the time shift, can't one posit a space referent? This has always been the paradox of relativity to me, since it seems that one ultimately has to define a referent space/time which then contradicts the notion of everything being relative. Any comments?

[Licensed-To-Carry]

Since I'm definately not a scientific person this may be a stupid question but......

Wouldn't time travel not only involve going back into time but also going back to a certain position in the universe. Like say 500 years ago, the earth and sun were not at this location but somewhere else in the rotation of the Milky Way, and the Milky Way was somewhere else in the universe.

So for time travel to really work, you would have to go back in time and go to the actual spot and rotation of the earth at that particular time. Am I off base?