All motion is relative. You have heard it, so have I. So, if all motion is relative there cannot be an actual slowing of time for an object as it approaches the speed of light, because there is no actual speed of light. There is only a relative speed of light - That is light's speed between an observer and an observed object is not the same as the speed of light in relation to the Universe.
Hell, the name of the Theory of Relativity means it is about the observation of time relative to another object. Time stops for the object from the observer's point of view only. Which means bupkis EXCEPT relative motion has an affect on the perceived flow of time for the observer due to the relative motion changing the perceived energy state of the emitted light (or energy).
In relativity we "see" a change in the energy state of photons due to phase shift (expansion or compression of the flow that decreases or increases the energy state of the photon to the observer). The change in energy state for the observer is caused by the compression (or expansion) of the spacing of photons (for lack of a better descriptor) as we perceive them.
What is not accounted for in the interpretation relativity is a photon stream with an energy level of visible light will be shifted into lower energy states as an object moves away and decreases the rate (increases the spacing of the photons in the stream) - which is what phase shift is. But, take it further - Relativity says that the spacing will continue to increase as you accelerate away and when you approach the speed of light the spacing becomes so great the perception of time flow is slowed until it stops. - That is the photon is moving at the same relative speed as the OBSERVER and has nothing to do with time flow for the observed object.
As an aside, if the object reverses course and returns to its original starting position relative to the observer, the amount of observed time slowing will necessarily equal the observed time accelerating as the object returns (no matter what relative velocity it returns at) so that time when the observed object gets to its original starting position, the observer and the observed will once again be equal in perceived time.
I may be wrong, but damn if this does not make a lot more sense than the wonky explanations I see trying to say time stops as you approach the speed of light for an object when all motion is relative.
If you add up all the motion for a person standing on the Earth just for the rotation of the earth + the rate of movement of the Earth around the Sun + the rate of movement of the Sun around the center of the galaxy + the movement of the galaxy within its cluster of galaxies, you have potential velocity of 600,000+ miles per hour. What is that relative to? Do we have to adjust for that motion when determining the speed of light if we send two observed objects in different directions? No - because the objects ignore the other motions because "All Motion is Relative." S
So, until someone finds the absolute motion of the universe to measure against, there can be no stopping of time for an object as it approaches the relative speed of light from a separate point of observation. There can only be the appearance of the stopping of time to the observer.
Hell, the name of the Theory of Relativity means it is about the observation of time relative to another object. Time stops for the object from the observer's point of view only. Which means bupkis EXCEPT relative motion has an affect on the perceived flow of time for the observer due to the relative motion changing the perceived energy state of the emitted light (or energy).
In relativity we "see" a change in the energy state of photons due to phase shift (expansion or compression of the flow that decreases or increases the energy state of the photon to the observer). The change in energy state for the observer is caused by the compression (or expansion) of the spacing of photons (for lack of a better descriptor) as we perceive them.
What is not accounted for in the interpretation relativity is a photon stream with an energy level of visible light will be shifted into lower energy states as an object moves away and decreases the rate (increases the spacing of the photons in the stream) - which is what phase shift is. But, take it further - Relativity says that the spacing will continue to increase as you accelerate away and when you approach the speed of light the spacing becomes so great the perception of time flow is slowed until it stops. - That is the photon is moving at the same relative speed as the OBSERVER and has nothing to do with time flow for the observed object.
As an aside, if the object reverses course and returns to its original starting position relative to the observer, the amount of observed time slowing will necessarily equal the observed time accelerating as the object returns (no matter what relative velocity it returns at) so that time when the observed object gets to its original starting position, the observer and the observed will once again be equal in perceived time.
I may be wrong, but damn if this does not make a lot more sense than the wonky explanations I see trying to say time stops as you approach the speed of light for an object when all motion is relative.
If you add up all the motion for a person standing on the Earth just for the rotation of the earth + the rate of movement of the Earth around the Sun + the rate of movement of the Sun around the center of the galaxy + the movement of the galaxy within its cluster of galaxies, you have potential velocity of 600,000+ miles per hour. What is that relative to? Do we have to adjust for that motion when determining the speed of light if we send two observed objects in different directions? No - because the objects ignore the other motions because "All Motion is Relative." S
So, until someone finds the absolute motion of the universe to measure against, there can be no stopping of time for an object as it approaches the relative speed of light from a separate point of observation. There can only be the appearance of the stopping of time to the observer.
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