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Sun 25 Sep, 2005 10:14 pm
How do you prove that time itself it distorted, and not just reactions in time?
For example, with the demonstration of relativity with clocks sent into space, how do we know that it was not just the clock moving more slowly, but that time itself was moving more slowly.
Is time, in the theory, defined entirely by the occurence of events?
If I define time as something independent of events would the theory need to be reworded for my purposes?
Thanks
Two clocks will show that different amounts of time have passed. Measure anything at all that changes with time, and it will show that less time has passed. But these are just experimental confirmations of the theory derived by Einstein in his 1905 paper, "The Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies." This is not a result which was discovered experimentally. It's a theory that is confirmed by experiment.
So, how would you answer my questions? The clocks could be viewed as simply having slower reactions.
Surely time just happens wether we record it or not.
If 1 of 2 clocks reads a slower time then it just means the battery isnt as powerful as the other.
material girl wrote:Surely time just happens wether we record it or not.
If 1 of 2 clocks reads a slower time then it just means the battery isnt as powerful as the other.
Any kind of clock, any kind of chemical reaction that takes place over time, any physical process that can be used to measure time, including the aging or a person or animal. By any rational interpretation, less time has passed in one system than the other. But you don't have to rely on experiment, Einstein worked out the theory (equations) in 1905, and these are just experimental confirmations.
Brandon9000 wrote:SCoates wrote:So, how would you answer my questions? The clocks could be viewed as simply having slower reactions.
I said:
Brandon9000 wrote:Two clocks will show that different amounts of time have passed. Measure anything at all that changes with time, and it will show that less time has passed. But these are just experimental confirmations of the theory derived by Einstein in his 1905 paper, "The Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies." This is not a result which was discovered experimentally. It's a theory that is confirmed by experiment.
And you presume this in some way addresses my questions? That's odd.
SCoates wrote:Brandon9000 wrote:SCoates wrote:So, how would you answer my questions? The clocks could be viewed as simply having slower reactions.
I said:
Brandon9000 wrote:Two clocks will show that different amounts of time have passed. Measure anything at all that changes with time, and it will show that less time has passed. But these are just experimental confirmations of the theory derived by Einstein in his 1905 paper, "The Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies." This is not a result which was discovered experimentally. It's a theory that is confirmed by experiment.
And you presume this in some way addresses my questions? That's odd.
1. It's not only clocks, it's every single thing that changes in any way with time.
2. The theory shows that it's a matter of time, not some quirk of clocks or one class of reactions.
Yes, I presume it addresses your question.
material girl wrote:Surely time just happens wether we record it or not.
If 1 of 2 clocks reads a slower time then it just means the battery isnt as powerful as the other.
The clocks used in the test were atomic clocks. Not only are they very accurate, but the mechanism they use for determining the passage of time is a decay rate of known atoms. The decay rate is a function of the structure of the atoms themselves. Batteries not required.
Brandon't answer is correct. But I'm not sure it addresses SCoates's question because I'm not sure what SCoates is asking exactly.
Scoates, are you asking a philosophical question about the passage of time being a reality? Or are you asking a more mundane question about comparative measurement?
Re: Relativity
SCoates wrote:How do you prove that time itself it distorted, and not just reactions in time?
Brandon notes that is not just actions, but *all* actions which are affected, and that this commonality demonstrates that it is time itself which is slowing, and not just the reactions. I add to this the fact that the things we are measureing are intrinsic natural structures and actions which have immutable time characteristics.
This seems to answer your question.
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