- #1
nuclear420
- 17
- 0
One of the thought experiments Einstein proposed involved one twin staying on earth, while the second twin entered a shuttle. The twin in the shuttle went on a trip (a physical one), traveling near the speed of light. The twin in the shuttle would have time pass by slower than the one on the Earth, resulting in him being younger than his Earth twin when he returned.
The Question:
Since relativity is relative, can't we assume a reference frame where the shuttle is stationary and the Earth moves away and comes back near the speed of light? This would result in the opposite outcome, a contradiction. I know that this was originally proposed by physicists as proof that Einstein's relativity was flawed, but later debunked. Can anyone explain to me, in laymen terms, why it doesn't work?
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
-- Albert Einstein
The Question:
Since relativity is relative, can't we assume a reference frame where the shuttle is stationary and the Earth moves away and comes back near the speed of light? This would result in the opposite outcome, a contradiction. I know that this was originally proposed by physicists as proof that Einstein's relativity was flawed, but later debunked. Can anyone explain to me, in laymen terms, why it doesn't work?
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
-- Albert Einstein