Albert Einstein. The Great Man, as many would say. One of my few regrets in life (and there are few) is that he died long before I was born, and hence I was not able to meet the man. I can be sure, had he lived a little longer, or had I been born a little earlier, such that we were contemporaries and able to meet one another, we would have shaken hands fondly, looked into one another’s eyes, and, in but just a fleeting fraction of a second, we would have both worked out in our respective minds who had the superior wit and, by a simple, courteous nod, would have established as between us who had the more acute and industrious mental capabilities. And, it is in complete candor I tell you that, if I were a betting man, I would certainly not have bet against myself in this intelligence showdown for the ages.
Physics. I do not believe many would argue that Albert Einstein was poor at physics. His theories of relativity revolutionized how we think about time and space, have (to date, before I post this, at least!) been proven correct time and time again by experiment, and still hold absolutely true, and unchallenged in their domain, today (once again, before this post!).
I too for many years have thought about the universe. Time and space. Physics. And, of course, that brings into play Einstein’s theories of relativity (special or general, it matters not for purposes of this discussion).
And while for many years I have studied and pondered these great things, it is only recently that I have read and learned about the man himself. And it was much to my surprise, that the way he thought about time, space, and physics, and the methods he used to help progress the fields, were what he called “gedankenexperiments” which is “thought experiments” in the German language.
Alas, how funny it was to have learned this! For I have for many years engaged in such types of thought experiments, but simply referred to them always as “thinking about shit.”
Now, if you care to come down the rabbit hole with me, allow me to introduce you to my grand thought experiment, one which I have spent the better part of my life considering. It is not simple, and thus simple minds need not apply. But for those who have an inquisitive mind, the ability to think and learn, and some time to spare, let us now proceed together down this rabbit hole…
What did your teachers tell you about relativity (or the underlying physics which it describes) in school? What you were told most likely is similar to what I was told, and went something like this…
You have two people. One stays on Earth. The other gets in a rocket ship and travels in said rocket ship at a very, very, VERY high rate of speed, approaching the speed of light (99%+ or more). Such other rocket ship travels out away from Earth for a while (at such VERY high speed), then turns around, and comes back to Earth, with the passenger then exiting the craft. You were told that the passenger that gets out of the rocket ship, when he sees the other person that stayed on Earth, sees a body that is much, much older than his. While the person that stayed on Earth, who is at that point old by any standards, sees a much younger person get out of the rocket ship, almost as if he not aged since the day he left in the rocket ship!
How can this be, you no doubt asked (if only to yourself and only in your mind)? Well, you were told that, if the two persons had clocks next to them (one on Earth, one on the rocket ship), and the persons could magically see the clocks of the other persons in real time (“magically” I say because of speed of light limitations, of course, not to mention the ability to see through the metal of a rocket ship, the atmosphere of Earth, etc.), the person on Earth would see the clock next to the person in the rocket ship running very, very slowly. In contrast, if the person in the rocket ship would see the clock on Earth running extremely fast. This is because, the time of the person in the rocket ship, traveling at close to the speed of light, is “dilated” versus the time of the person that stayed on Earth (and vice versa), with the person (and clock!) moving at near-light speeds having their time “slowed down” vis-a-vis a person (and clock!) not moving at near-light speeds.
And, no doubt you were amazed with that, as was I. How can simply moving faster vis-à-vis someone else cause your time to pass “slower” vis-a-vis that other person? Absolutely astounding, to say the least!
However, a critical view, as always, should be taken. These statements, beliefs and theories should be challenged. The truth must be known!
So, that brings us to MY “gedankenexperiment”, which I have spent significant time on, no doubt. So let us begin, post haste.
Let’s say you have two observers in space, close to each other, relatively speaking (no pun intended I must say!). Person A and Person B we shall name them. And said Person A and Person B stand (float, if you like) in front of a GIANT movie screen. On said movie screen a very long movie is about to play. You may think if it as a year (or years!) long movie if you like should it help to solidify your understanding.
Person A is in a rocket ship. While Person B remains in place (no movement, close to the movie screen, which also exhibits no movement), Person A takes off in the rocket ship. Person A accelerates to a speed near the speed of light. Let’s assume that this speed is set so that the Person A’s time is running exactly 50% as fast as the time of Person B (i.e., Person A, where he able to see Person B’s clock, would see it running twice as fast as his own, and Person B, if he were able to see Person A’s clock, would see it running half as fast as his own).
Now, here is the important part. Person A’s trajectory in the rocket ship takes Person A around and around in “loops”, returning in space close to Person B and then continuing the “loop” away from Person B again, then returning to close to Person B again, time and again.
Once Person A has hit the designated close-to-light speed in his rocket ship (again, such that his time is dilated to run 50% “slower” than Person B’s time), the movie starts. And Person A keeps making his “loops”, making many, many loops before the movie ends.
As Person A makes his loops, Person A and Person B communicate with one another (taking their relative movements into account to make the communications effective, of course, and for all purposes below). In particular, they communicate to one another what part of the movie (which we will assume they have seen many times and are familiar with) is currently showing on the movie screen as they see it.
And now, the problem with this so-called “relativity” is about to present itself.
When Person A, making to loops in the rocket ship, reports to Person B that Person A is at the 10% mark in the movie, Person B reports to Person A that Person A is at the 20% mark in the movie. Nothing at all surprising there, given the aforementioned velocity difference and time dilation.
When Person A reports to Person B that Person A is at the 20% mark in the movie, Person B reports to Person A that Person B is at the 40% mark. Then 30% and 60%. Then 40% and 80%. Then 50% and 100%.
HOWEVER, what is reported after this, in particular by Person B to Person A? For Person A continues to report the movie being played… 60%, 70%, 80%, etc. But the movie has already long since completed for Person B! So what does Person B see on the screen? Almost spooky, to say the least!
You might just instinctively and naively say “well, Person B just sees a blank screen”. But allow me to demonstrate why this makes absolutely no sense by one additional fact stipulation.
And that is, that Person A in his rocket ship actually comes to a stop in very close proximity next to Person B and the movie screen let’s say just a few seconds before the movie ends as to Person A. So the movie ends as to Person A, which is now located right next to Person B and the movie screen, and thus logically would have to be ending at the same time as to Person B since Person B is right next to Person A (and the movie screen).
But that CANNOT BE if one believes in this “relativity”. Because, as we have discussed (according to the theory), the movie already long since ended as to Person B while Person A was making his loops (and when the movie was at the 50% mark as to Person A).
And there it is. This is an absolute, fundamental inconsistency with the theory. This inconsistency unequivocally demonstrates that the relativity is wrong or, at an absolute minimum, requires radical and fundamental changes if it is to survive in some form or another. But, make no mistake, there is no way it can survive intact.
I have included an illustration below if it may help you to understand this “gedankenexperiment” of mine I described above.
I invite your reasoned, thoughtful comment, but those with inferior intelligence and impure motives, I would very much appreciate it if you would just move along. Serious matters requiring intelligent thought are very much best left to serious people capable of producing intelligent thought.
And remember that bet I said above I’d take if I were a betting man? I now feel more secure than ever that I would prevail without question in said bet…
