Time..

[robvalue]

Right, I'm probably viewing it in too simplistic terms. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out I don't think my monkey brain has got round the concept properly yet.

[Alex K]

Right, I'm probably viewing it in too simplistic terms. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out I don't think my monkey brain has got round the concept properly yet.

The wiki article may not be the best pedagogical introduction, they are sometimes a bit more technical than they need to be. It can be summarized in this diagram from the article:



The red axes show one space dimension (drawn sideways) and time dimension (drawn upwards) as seen by you. So for you, higher up in the diagram means later, and sideways just corresponds to one of the three dimensions of your space.

The green axes depict a space dimension and the time dimension as seen by a observer moving relative to you. They are a bit harder to read, but the principle is the same. Going in the direction of the green " ct' " axis means later times as seen by the moving observer. Going in the direction of the green " x' " axis means same time, but different place, for the moving observer.

How the two systems of axes a painted on top of each other is a precise illustration of a Lorentz transformation.

You find that the moving guy's time axis lies somewhere oblique across your space and time, and more importantly, also their space axis marked by " x' " points somewhere across your space and time.

Imagine two events seen by the moving observer to be at different points in space but simultaneous, i.e. at the same time with respect to their green coordinates. These could for example be given by the two points painted as blue crosses on the green space axis, which would then both happen at time=0 for the moving observer.

These are actually seen by you (interpreted with respect to the red axes) as events at different points in space and different times. In this case, the right upper blue cross is an event that happens later from your point of view, because it is higher up your red time axis.

This shows you that what is space for the observer moving past you is partly time for you, as spatial distances appear to you partly as temporal distances, making two simultaneous events in the moving frame happen one after the other from your perspective.
This conversion of spatial distances to temporal distances due to relative movement makes a hard distinction between space and time as completely different things, difficult...

[robvalue]

Thank you for the explanation I'll see if I can wrap my head around it. It's freaky stuff, no wonder people just want the "goddunit" stamp.

I'm good with the maths, not so great yet at the hardcore physics.

[Alex K]

Thank you for the explanation I'll see if I can wrap my head around it. It's freaky stuff, no wonder people just want the "goddunit" stamp.

That stuff is from the devil