Time Warps: Exploring Sci-Fi Hypotheticals

[Ervin]

Okay so I have a completely sci - fi question.
Lets say we build something that warps space to travel a shorter distance, would time be warped aswell?
Lets say this hypothetical ship travels at 99% of the speed of light without the warp, then time would be diffrent both because of the speed and warping of space, hypotheticly do you think they would both add upp? why and why not ? Example of what I am thinking of. Let's say the destination is 200 light years away. for the ship to reach its destination takes about 250 solar years. Now if we have a clock on the ship, how many years would it show?

 

[Ervin]

Keep in mind I have a very rudimentary understanding of physics so if you could break it down into layman's terms I would very much appreciate it.

 

[Orodruin]

Okay so I have a completely sci - fi question.

First of all, this is a science forum and not a scifi forum.

Lets say we build something that warps space to travel a shorter distance, would time be warped aswell?

Space and time are not independent. What is being curved in relativity is space-time. Any further discussion must be based on an actual solution to Einstein's field equations. You cannot discuss this simply using words as it is prone to misunderstandings and imprecise statements.

Keep in mind I have a very rudimentary understanding of physics so if you could break it down into layman's terms I would very much appreciate it.

Then do not mark your thread "A". Doing so indicates you expect an answer accessible to someone with an understanding of the subject at graduate student level or higher. I am going to relabel the thread as "B" level.

 

[Mister T]

Example of what I am thinking of. Let's say the destination is 200 light years away. for the ship to reach its destination takes about 250 solar years. Now if we have a clock on the ship, how many years would it show?

I assume you mean 200 light years as measured by someone resting on Earth? And relative to Earth the ship is traveling at a speed of 0.8 c so that it takes 250 years to reach its destination, again as measured by someone at rest on Earth. To someone aboard the ship, the distance would be 120 light years, so the trip would take 150 years.

Measurements taken aboard the ship indicate that the distance is 120. Measurements taken on Earth indicate the distance is 200. When we compare the two we say the length is contracted from 200 to 120.

Measurements taken on Earth indicate the time is 250. Measurements taken on Earth indicate the time is 150. When we compare the two we say that the time is dilated from 150 to 250.

The only thing sci-fi about this scenario is that we we don't have the technology to build ships that travel this fast. But if we did, this is what science tells us would happen.

 

[Mister T]

Oops! I just noticed a big typo in my previous message. Let me correct it ...

Measurements taken aboard the ship indicate that the distance is 120. Measurements taken on Earth indicate the distance is 200. When we compare the two we say the length is contracted from 200 to 120.

Measurements taken on Earth indicate the time is 250. Measurements taken aboard the ship indicate the time is 150. When we compare the two we say that the time is dilated from 150 to 250.

The only thing sci-fi about this scenario is that we we don't have the technology to build ships that travel this fast. But if we did, this is what science tells us would happen.