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Is it true that part of Einsteins theory of relativity was proven? It was something along the lines of time travels slower near massive bodies of matter.

Part of Einstein's theory equates acceleration with a gravitational field ("equivalence principle". And since acceleration to near lightspeed slows time down (for the traveler), likewise for being caught in an intense gravitational field, like with a black hole (although the effect, while less noticeable, also occurs even with Earth's gravitational field).

Originally posted by Mindship
also occurs even with Earth's gravitational field).

right and they proved this?

Originally posted by Phantom Zone
right and they proved this? Very minute time-dilation discrepancies have been observed in comparing Houston, Texas time with orbiting space shuttle time.

Originally posted by Phantom Zone
Is it true that part of Einsteins theory of relativity was proven?

Yes, many times over. The first notable test involved seeing the Moon's gravity alter the apparent position of stars.

The further out you go, the slower time flows.

Originally posted by Deja~vu
The further out you go, the slower time flows.

Hush, the grown-ups are talking.

I actually thought it was the other way around. Mass slows down time, but if you are out in the middle of space it travels faster.

Originally posted by Deja~vu
The further out you go, the slower time flows.

Time does not flow, and distance has nothing to do with time.

Originally posted by Phantom Zone
I actually thought it was the other way around. Mass slows down time, but if you are out in the middle of space it travels faster. I'm no physicist, but as I understand it, it's not mass, per se, which causes time to slow down for a traveler, but momentum: the momentum of acceleration due to, say, a rocket engine or acceleration from falling in a gravitational field. Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), the bigger/denser the mass, the stronger the gravity, the faster you fall, and the more time (for you) slows down.

Actually, you might also find this interesting...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2003/timetripqa.shtml

Originally posted by Phantom Zone
I actually thought it was the other way around. Mass slows down time, but if you are out in the middle of space it travels faster.

Motion alters the flow of time and you need a lot for it to even remotely register. Mass only seems to alter the flow of time because of gravity (acceleration) it produces.

=/= proven

= provided evidence to support the idea that

Originally posted by inimalist
=/= proven

= provided evidence to support the idea that



So . . . all science is lies that not even scientists can agree on?

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
So . . . all science is lies that not even scientists can agree on?

well, no, not lies

people aren't intentionally deceptive

just flawed humans incapable of ever actually proving something in absolute terms

Originally posted by inimalist
well, no, not lies

people aren't intentionally deceptive

just flawed humans incapable of ever actually proving something in absolute terms

Hah! You admit your weakness!

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Hah! You admit your weakness!

WHAT?!???!?!

NO, IT WAS YOU ALL ALONG

NO, WAIT

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.....

It seems to me that time travel is possible but you need massive amounts of energy. Could nuclear fusion solve this problem?

Originally posted by Phantom Zone
It seems to me that time travel is possible but you need massive amounts of energy. Could nuclear fusion solve this problem? I would think so, provided the reactor is big/powerful enough. Perhaps a Dyson sphere around a star...

The way I understood it, is time is altered by mass. For instance, if you imagine time as a stretched piece of fabric, putting bodies of mass (Marbles that represent planets) will cause the fabric to bend a little where the marbles/planets are. Thus time has a 'surface tension'. Building on this theory, black holes rip a hole in the surface tension of time...