- #1
Edward Solomo
- 72
- 1
EDIT: I am looking for a correction in my understanding of relativity. A model of the universe as it appears to a photon will be presented in a LOGICALLY RIGOROUS MANNER based on my understanding of physics by examining the limiting effect as one approaches the speed of light. Since my understanding of physics may be (and is most likely) wrong, I expect that the model that is constructed to be wrong and inconsistent with the laws of physics. Quoting from below, "It's better to be wrong with rigorous logic based on false axioms than to be right with faulty logic based on correct axioms." It it my belief that errors are the "primary engine of human learning." I am highly proficient in multivariable calculus, linear algebra and several other mathematical fields and am considering to double major in physics based on my recent interests in physics over the past year. So I ask of you to tell me where I go wrong when building this model.
In regards to length contraction:
An observer moving at the speed of light would see the universe as a 2D plane perpendicular to his direction of travel, where all 3D objects would be orthogonally projected onto that 2D plane, this is because as one approaches the speed of light, space in the direction of his travel shrinks to zero.
In regards to time contraction:
Also, if we call the point in time in which a photon is emitted A, and the point in time in which it is absorbed B, then we can say that the photon experiences all events during time A and time B in zero time, this is because as one approaches the speed of light, events occur at faster rates, until the time between events becomes equal to zero, which causes the paradox "Did event A cause B or did B cause A?" (this paradox is resolved later on).
This is the same as saying that instead of the observer's PRESENT being the 3-D surface of his lightcone, his present is actually the 4-D interpolation of his lightcone at Time A and Time B (using a 3-D representation of space-time, with two space dimensions representing the hypersurface and the third dimension representing time, it would be the 3-D interpolation of the surfaces of the past line cone at A and at B, which forms a solid cone subtracted by the solid lightcone of Time A).
If we put both of these together:
Knowing that a past light cone extends to the Big Bang (whose hypersurface is a point (or all points contained by infinite positive curvature) and a future light cone extend potentially to the end of the universe, the observer's light cone, when interpolated will allow the observer to witness all events in each interpolated light cone from the start of the Big Bang until the end of the universe in zero time.
This means we lost a dimension, we lost the dimension of time. Time was orthogonally projected into 2-space* by moving at the speed of light, which is why all events occur simultaneously to the observer, and if time is measured by the passing of events and all events have passed, then time stops because there are no more events to pass.
*However, we must also remember that the observer has also lost a spatial dimension due to length contraction. Therefore time and length (the dimension parallel to the worldine of the observer**) are both orthogonally projected into 2-space.
Thus a photon experiences a timeless 2D universe where the worldline of each particle is a 2-D line upon the 2-D surface of its existence, where point particles would become line particles. This 2D universe would have a particle horizon whose radius would be equal to the radius at the base of lightcone B (the end of the photon's existence, which is either when it is absorbed or the universe ends).
If we consider the possibility that the universe has no end and the photon is never absorbed, then it is possible that the radius of this solid lightcircle is infinite. Thus the "present time-frame" of the photon would be the entire 2D hypersurface of its universe. The photon would in fact experience a universal simultaneity in zero time and time would not progress any further (because time cannot progress if there are no more events to pass time). Since time does not elapse, the apparent contradiction of a photon moving at c in respect to itself while at rest is irrelevant because particles with velocity do not move when there is no passage of time and thus their velocity is indeterminable. OBJECTS MOVE THROUGH SPACE, NOT THROUGH TIME.
Also since a photon would experience all events in zero time, there would be no more photons since they all would have been absorbed, compressed to a singularity at the big crunch (or in the case of an open universe, entered a horizon, such as an event horizon or went over the particle horizon, and such the photon would never be able to come in contact with any other photon, which is the same as heat death).
We should however determine what causality means in a timeless universe. At speeds very close to light, the idea of causality means that event A caused event B. However all equations in relativity, classical mechanics and quantum mechanics are time reversible. So an observer can also say event B caused event A. However the term "event" describes the 4D interpolation of the light cones between the start and end of an event, therefore event A never caused event B, because they are both the same event that starts at time t1 and ends at time t2. So the idea of a 4d dimensionally interpolated surface is actually familiar to us. What matters is how fast we perceive this interpolation. In the case of a photon, this interpolation is perceived in zero time. So if causality is the progression of interpolation, then causality is not violated since the interpolation IS COMPLETED zero time and therefore the 2D projection of every particle's worldline onto the flat 2D universe would still allow an observer to determine the order of events, except they would be unable to determine the ARROW of time (whether event A caused B, or B caused A, which really doesn't matter since all the equations are time reversible).
And yes I am familiar with the Second Law of Thermodynamics and the arrow of time. There is no arrow of time in a timeless universe, so saying A implied B or B implied A is perfectly fine in a timeless universe (usage of the word "imply" instead of "caused" preserves the logic of the statement). The commutative law of addition that f + g = g + f implies that 3+6 = 6+3 is true, it does not "cause" it to become true over time. So a timeless universe has causality replaced with mathematical implication.
**It is my understanding that an observer sees himself in the middle of the universe, whether the universe is open, flat or closed and thus his worldline appears as a straight line through time to himself, even if his worldline appears curved to an observer elsewhere. Therefore in regards to projecting 4-space onto 2-space, we are projecting it onto the 2D plane perpendicular to his worldline.
In regards to length contraction:
An observer moving at the speed of light would see the universe as a 2D plane perpendicular to his direction of travel, where all 3D objects would be orthogonally projected onto that 2D plane, this is because as one approaches the speed of light, space in the direction of his travel shrinks to zero.
In regards to time contraction:
Also, if we call the point in time in which a photon is emitted A, and the point in time in which it is absorbed B, then we can say that the photon experiences all events during time A and time B in zero time, this is because as one approaches the speed of light, events occur at faster rates, until the time between events becomes equal to zero, which causes the paradox "Did event A cause B or did B cause A?" (this paradox is resolved later on).
This is the same as saying that instead of the observer's PRESENT being the 3-D surface of his lightcone, his present is actually the 4-D interpolation of his lightcone at Time A and Time B (using a 3-D representation of space-time, with two space dimensions representing the hypersurface and the third dimension representing time, it would be the 3-D interpolation of the surfaces of the past line cone at A and at B, which forms a solid cone subtracted by the solid lightcone of Time A).
If we put both of these together:
Knowing that a past light cone extends to the Big Bang (whose hypersurface is a point (or all points contained by infinite positive curvature) and a future light cone extend potentially to the end of the universe, the observer's light cone, when interpolated will allow the observer to witness all events in each interpolated light cone from the start of the Big Bang until the end of the universe in zero time.
This means we lost a dimension, we lost the dimension of time. Time was orthogonally projected into 2-space* by moving at the speed of light, which is why all events occur simultaneously to the observer, and if time is measured by the passing of events and all events have passed, then time stops because there are no more events to pass.
*However, we must also remember that the observer has also lost a spatial dimension due to length contraction. Therefore time and length (the dimension parallel to the worldine of the observer**) are both orthogonally projected into 2-space.
Thus a photon experiences a timeless 2D universe where the worldline of each particle is a 2-D line upon the 2-D surface of its existence, where point particles would become line particles. This 2D universe would have a particle horizon whose radius would be equal to the radius at the base of lightcone B (the end of the photon's existence, which is either when it is absorbed or the universe ends).
If we consider the possibility that the universe has no end and the photon is never absorbed, then it is possible that the radius of this solid lightcircle is infinite. Thus the "present time-frame" of the photon would be the entire 2D hypersurface of its universe. The photon would in fact experience a universal simultaneity in zero time and time would not progress any further (because time cannot progress if there are no more events to pass time). Since time does not elapse, the apparent contradiction of a photon moving at c in respect to itself while at rest is irrelevant because particles with velocity do not move when there is no passage of time and thus their velocity is indeterminable. OBJECTS MOVE THROUGH SPACE, NOT THROUGH TIME.
Also since a photon would experience all events in zero time, there would be no more photons since they all would have been absorbed, compressed to a singularity at the big crunch (or in the case of an open universe, entered a horizon, such as an event horizon or went over the particle horizon, and such the photon would never be able to come in contact with any other photon, which is the same as heat death).
We should however determine what causality means in a timeless universe. At speeds very close to light, the idea of causality means that event A caused event B. However all equations in relativity, classical mechanics and quantum mechanics are time reversible. So an observer can also say event B caused event A. However the term "event" describes the 4D interpolation of the light cones between the start and end of an event, therefore event A never caused event B, because they are both the same event that starts at time t1 and ends at time t2. So the idea of a 4d dimensionally interpolated surface is actually familiar to us. What matters is how fast we perceive this interpolation. In the case of a photon, this interpolation is perceived in zero time. So if causality is the progression of interpolation, then causality is not violated since the interpolation IS COMPLETED zero time and therefore the 2D projection of every particle's worldline onto the flat 2D universe would still allow an observer to determine the order of events, except they would be unable to determine the ARROW of time (whether event A caused B, or B caused A, which really doesn't matter since all the equations are time reversible).
And yes I am familiar with the Second Law of Thermodynamics and the arrow of time. There is no arrow of time in a timeless universe, so saying A implied B or B implied A is perfectly fine in a timeless universe (usage of the word "imply" instead of "caused" preserves the logic of the statement). The commutative law of addition that f + g = g + f implies that 3+6 = 6+3 is true, it does not "cause" it to become true over time. So a timeless universe has causality replaced with mathematical implication.
**It is my understanding that an observer sees himself in the middle of the universe, whether the universe is open, flat or closed and thus his worldline appears as a straight line through time to himself, even if his worldline appears curved to an observer elsewhere. Therefore in regards to projecting 4-space onto 2-space, we are projecting it onto the 2D plane perpendicular to his worldline.
Last edited: