by Ann » Thu Jun 09, 2011 2:12 am
How can we be in the same time as other planets? The answer is that we can't.
Imagine that you went to Mars. The distance between Mars and the Earth varies quite a lot, but let's say, for the sake of the argument, that it is never more than twelve light-minutes and never less than five light-minutes.
Now suppose that you are standing on Mars, and you want to communicate with the Earth. So you use your radio to send a message to the Earth. Imagine that Mars and the Earth are quite close to each other, so that the distance between these two planets is only five light-minutes. That means that when you send a message to the Earth from Mars, five light-minutes away, it is going to take five minutes for that message to reach the Earth.
Suppose you want the Earth to answer you. Suppose they send an answer as soon as they get your message. Their answer is going to take five minutes to reach you. That means that you will have to wait ten minutes from the moment when you sent your message to the moment when you receive a reply.
Isn't there a way to communicate faster between the Earth and Mars? Not that we know of, no. And Einstein's theory of relativity also says that it is impossible - at least as long as these two planets remain in their present orbits around the Sun.
So because it is impossible to communicate "instantly" between the Earth and Mars, these two planets aren't in the same "time frame".
Ann
How can we be in the same time as other planets? The answer is that we can't.
Imagine that you went to Mars. The distance between Mars and the Earth varies quite a lot, but let's say, for the sake of the argument, that it is never more than twelve light-minutes and never less than five light-minutes.
Now suppose that you are standing on Mars, and you want to communicate with the Earth. So you use your radio to send a message to the Earth. Imagine that Mars and the Earth are quite close to each other, so that the distance between these two planets is only five light-minutes. That means that when you send a message to the Earth from Mars, five light-minutes away, it is going to take five minutes for that message to reach the Earth.
Suppose you want the Earth to answer you. Suppose they send an answer as soon as they get your message. Their answer is going to take five minutes to reach you. That means that you will have to wait ten minutes from the moment when you sent your message to the moment when you receive a reply.
Isn't there a way to communicate faster between the Earth and Mars? Not that we know of, no. And Einstein's theory of relativity also says that it is impossible - at least as long as these two planets remain in their present orbits around the Sun.
So because it is impossible to communicate "instantly" between the Earth and Mars, these two planets aren't in the same "time frame".
Ann