Posted on 03/22/2006 5:34:03 PM PST by KevinDavis
March 22, 2006: Consider a pair of brothers, identical twins. One gets a job as an astronaut and rockets into deep space. The other stays on Earth. When the traveling twin returns home, he discovers he's younger than his brother.
This is Einstein's Twin Paradox, and although it sounds strange, it is absolutely true. The theory of relativity tells us that the faster you travel through space, the slower you travel through time. Rocketing to Alpha Centauri—warp 9, please—is a good way to stay young.
(Excerpt) Read more at science.nasa.gov ...
Just another kind of cooked goose eh?!
Einstein's astronauts rode trains and elevators.
Einstein had astronauts?
And clams have legs :)
From the individuals point of perception there would be no difference in the rate that time passes so I wouldn't say it would keep you young exactly. Sounds like more of a one way time travel method.
Still cool stuff fer ponderin.
With warp 9, you would be to Alpha Centuri in about 30 seconds.
Well, ok this doesnt exactly make Einstein wrong... Biological effects do not change the tested theory that time does indeed slow down when approaching light speed.
Why don't they always travel warp 10?
The problem with the Theory of Relativity is that once you understand it, at least conceptually, everything becomes relative.
And then everything you think is common sense turns out to be false, so you either begin drinking heavily or just huddle in a corner and shake.
Or you start watching South Park to make some meaning of life.
Because warp 10, in the Star Trek universe of physics, is the speed at which you occupy multiple points in space.
Editor's note: This story should not be construed to mean that Einstein's theory of Special Relativity is wrong. It is correct. The Twin Paradox was concocted in Einstein's day to illustrate time dilation only. It was never intended to treat all aspects of space travel...
I'm guessing that the mutagenic properties of cosmic rays might end up clobbering the individual before he or she ages seriously from telomere damage. But there's a way to find out.
Warp 10 is transwarp speed, something not attainable by Star Trek Federation ships within the series.
eh, whatever.
Oops. I think I just dropped my fingers.
Bad headline. Bad study. False conclusion.
Besides, it is not all that hard to generate a localized magnetic field the same strength as earth's, around a ship.
Now generating a planetary magnetic field is a different animal and the earth's magnetic field is declining rapidly.
Relative to the person who isn't moving. The guy coming back from space actually did a little bit of time traveling. He is now in his brothers and planets future.
Poorly titled article but fun to read.
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