Boring Books for Bedtime Readings to Help You Sleep The ABC of Relativity, by Bertrand Russell, Part 3
Sep 4, 2023
Explore the concept of space-time and its significance in the theory of relativity. Discover the relationship between space and time, challenging the concept of universal time. Dive into the influence of events on our perception of time. Uncover paradoxes and measurement problems in the theory of relativity. Learn about measuring lengths and distances in motion and the reciprocal nature of observations. Delve into time dilation, intervals in relativity, and the Lorentz transformation for measurements between bodies in relative motion.
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Space And Time Form One Fabric
- Relativity merges space and time because events need four coordinates and these coordinates interdependently change with observers.
- Simultaneity is relative, so you cannot separate time as independent from the three spatial dimensions.
Causality Defines Temporal Order
- An event's causal relations determine definite before/after status: only signals limited by light speed can make that definite.
- Events within the light-travel window are neither definitely before nor after each other for all observers.
Motion Changes Measured Lengths
- Measured lengths depend on simultaneity judgments, so moving objects appear contracted along the motion direction.
- The Fitzgerald contraction follows from differing simultaneity rather than an ad hoc adjustment.