Twin Paradox: Can Age Asymmetry be Achieved on Earth?

In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of time dilation in the context of the Twin paradox and the possibility of achieving it without interstellar travel. The idea of oscillating someone's molecules at relativistic speeds is brought up, but it is deemed impractical and in violation of fundamental laws. The concept of calculating time dilation from an inertial frame is also mentioned.
  • #1
GRB 080319B
108
0
I understand if this question sounds juvenile, because I thought of it after seeing a science fiction movie called Clockstoppers. In this film, a device (stopwatch) is used to speed up the molecular motion of an person body so that from their frame of reference, the rest of the world has slowed to a crawl (or stopped altogether). In reference to the Twin paradox, if instead of sending one twin traveling in a spaceship at relativistic speeds while the other remains on Earth, would it be possible to vibrate the particles of one twin so that they oscillate at a frequency close to that of the speed of light to create the same age asymmetry while both twins are located on Earth? Is interstellar travel the only way to achieve the age asymmetry? Would the particles constituting the twin have to be moving coherently (relative to the twin as a whole)? I am not sure how the device works in the movie (I assume deus ex machina) or what the creation of such a device would require. I have no background in physics so please forgive me if this scenario violates a fundamental law or understanding. Thank you.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
The question violates a lot of things... but i still appreciate it.
The entire premise makes absolutely no sense (of the movie).
As to your question, there's really no way to oscillate all of someone's molecules without exploding/imploding/evaporating/eviscerating them. In addition, oscillatory motion is characterized by frequent acceleration which takes a lot of force and energy (difficult to provide). In addition, special relativity becomes a lot more complex in accelerating reference frames... so the frequent accelerations would have a pronounced effect on any time-dilation (what that effect would be, i have no idea).
Cryogenics would be a much more feasible option.
BTW 080319B was def the coolest GRB ever, awesome namesake.
 
  • #3
lzkelley said:
The question violates a lot of things... but i still appreciate it.
The entire premise makes absolutely no sense (of the movie).
As to your question, there's really no way to oscillate all of someone's molecules without exploding/imploding/evaporating/eviscerating them. In addition, oscillatory motion is characterized by frequent acceleration which takes a lot of force and energy (difficult to provide). In addition, special relativity becomes a lot more complex in accelerating reference frames... so the frequent accelerations would have a pronounced effect on any time-dilation (what that effect would be, i have no idea).
You don't need an acceleted frame to deal with accelerated motion, you can calculate the effects from the perspective of an inertial frame. If an object's speed is varying in a given inertial frame, but you know the speed as a function of time v(t), then if you want to know how much it'll age between two moments in the inertial frame [tex]t_0[/tex] and [tex]t_1[/tex], you can integrate [tex]\int_{t_0}^{t_1} \sqrt{1 - v(t)^2/c^2} \, dt[/tex] and get the answer. So, in theory a clock moving in a tiny circle with a constant speed v (though it's direction would be changing as it moved, so this would still qualify as acceleration) would run slower by a factor of [tex]\sqrt{1 - v^2/c^2}[/tex]. However, I think you're correct in the rest of your comments about the extreme impracticality of oscillating all someone's molecules at relativistic speeds in a coordinated way.
 

Related to Twin Paradox: Can Age Asymmetry be Achieved on Earth?

1. What is the Twin Paradox?

The Twin Paradox is a thought experiment in the theory of relativity, where one twin travels at high speeds in a spaceship while the other twin stays on Earth. When the traveling twin returns, they will have aged less than the twin who stayed on Earth, leading to an asymmetry in their ages.

2. Can age asymmetry be achieved on Earth?

Yes, the Twin Paradox can be observed on Earth through the use of high-speed transportation methods such as airplanes or satellites. However, the time difference between the two twins will be extremely small and difficult to measure due to the relatively slow speeds at which these methods travel compared to the speed of light.

3. How does the Twin Paradox relate to time dilation?

The Twin Paradox is a result of time dilation, which is a phenomenon predicted by the theory of relativity. Time dilation occurs when an object moves at high speeds, causing time to pass slower for that object compared to a stationary observer. This is what causes the age asymmetry between the traveling twin and the twin on Earth.

4. Is the Twin Paradox a real phenomenon?

While the Twin Paradox is a theoretical concept, it has been confirmed through experiments and observations in real life. The effects of time dilation have been observed in experiments involving atomic clocks on airplanes and satellites, providing evidence for the validity of the Twin Paradox.

5. What are the implications of the Twin Paradox?

The Twin Paradox has significant implications for our understanding of time and space. It highlights the fact that time is relative and can be affected by factors such as speed and gravity. It also has practical applications in fields such as space travel and GPS technology, where precise time measurements are crucial.

Similar threads

  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
13
Views
2K
  • Special and General Relativity
2
Replies
35
Views
437
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
20
Views
2K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
5
Views
704
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
31
Views
1K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • Special and General Relativity
2
Replies
36
Views
3K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
24
Views
2K
  • Special and General Relativity
2
Replies
48
Views
3K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
20
Views
2K
Back
Top