Wednesday, November 12, 2014

In Einstein’s Universe, Airplanes and Staircases are Time Machines

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Recent experimental optical clocks are so precise that even a small change in elevation or velocity makes them register the passage of time differently


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It's all relative: James Chin-wen Chou with one of the aluminum-ion optical clocks at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.


If you have ever found yourself cursing a noisy upstairs neighbor, take solace in the fact that he or she is aging faster than you are.


Einstein's general theory of relativity predicts that clocks at different gravitational potentials will tick at different rates—a clock at higher elevation will tick faster than will a clock closer to Earth's center. In other words, time passes more quickly in your neighbor's upstairs apartment than it does in your apartment.



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