The Science of Superman

[Ectezus]

Just a quick note: 'Time travel' IS possible.

Not just the theoretical kind, I'm talking about the practical kind. Many people don't know that we already are seeing the effects of time travel today.

Satellites around the earth travel very fast, each one has a onboard clock to keep it in sync with earth time clocks. This is vital for GPS satellites for example. Guess what?

The clocks on satellites would become desynchronized with earths clocks if we wouldn't correct them. And the fact is... We do. And the sole reason for this is because we understand (and can calculate) that is has to do with time travel.

Now please note that the satellites change is extremely small but without action it would become a problem.
Also, there are different kind of ways to look at time travel. It's probably impossible (although knowing time travel is possible to some degree should make anyone hesitate saying the word impossible for the rest of his/her life ), correction; highly implausible that time travel means we can go back to WW2 and kill Hitler, and even if you could it probably wouldn’t affect the outcome of 'your' universe. (There might be multiple ones)
It's also important to know that time travel only happens for the person/object that is moving fast.

As for the explanation about the reason for time travel, here's a quickie:

Imagine you throw something away. Now if you throw that same thing away at the same speed out of a moving car the actual speed of that object you throw would be higher yes? Yes indeed.

The weird thing is, this is NOT the case with light. *pause for goose bump moment*. Nothing can go faster than light, so something has to give and that something is time.

If in space you would fly away from a light source at incredible speed, lets say 99% of the speed of light, then if someone behind you would turn on that light source you would think it would pass you by very slowly, since light speed is 100% and you fly at 99%.
With moving cars on the highway we would see the car passing really slowly, however for light... nope, the light beam that goes past you will be going away from you at 100% speed of light. Time is relative to each person.

Take a look at this video for a much better explanation:
(It's only 4 min's. Worth your 'time', trust me)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7vpw4AH8QQ
It's really amazing.

Well so far for making a quick note, ahum..

- Ectezus

 

[Tenka]

The grave digging one is GOLD.

There were tons of things like this in the Superman spinoffs (Superman's pal: Jimmy Olsen (that redheaded kid) and Superman's girlfriend: Lois Lane) in which either Superman was a complete jerk to his friends for no good reason or they tried to kill him with powers they'd magically acquired just for that issue. Just bizarre.

 

[MrGoodBytes]

The speed of time is 1s/s.

 

[Ectezus]

The speed of time is 1s/s.

Well, yes and no...

Yes because time is 1s/s to yourself, and everyone else separately.

No in the sense that time is relative. A person can theoretically outlive his twin brother by a 100 years if he's traveling fast enough in space. He won't actually be a 100 years older in HIS life, but according to OUR point of view he will most definitely be a 100 years older.

- Ectezus

 

[MrGoodBytes]

I wasn't being serious. Thanks for the explanation though!

 

[shinbits]

Just a quick note: 'Time travel' IS possible.

Not just the theoretical kind, I'm talking about the practical kind. Many people don't know that we already are seeing the effects of time travel today.

Satellites around the earth travel very fast, each one has a onboard clock to keep it in sync with earth time clocks. This is vital for GPS satellites for example. Guess what?

The clocks on satellites would become desynchronized with earths clocks if we wouldn't correct them. And the fact is... We do. And the sole reason for this is because we understand (and can calculate) that is has to do with time travel.

Now please note that the satellites change is extremely small but without action it would become a problem.
Also, there are different kind of ways to look at time travel. It's probably impossible (although knowing time travel is possible to some degree should make anyone hesitate saying the word impossible for the rest of his/her life ), correction; highly implausible that time travel means we can go back to WW2 and kill Hitler, and even if you could it probably wouldn’t affect the outcome of 'your' universe. (There might be multiple ones)
It's also important to know that time travel only happens for the person/object that is moving fast.

As for the explanation about the reason for time travel, here's a quickie:

Imagine you throw something away. Now if you throw that same thing away at the same speed out of a moving car the actual speed of that object you throw would be higher yes? Yes indeed.

The weird thing is, this is NOT the case with light. *pause for goose bump moment*. Nothing can go faster than light, so something has to give and that something is time.

If in space you would fly away from a light source at incredible speed, lets say 99% of the speed of light, then if someone behind you would turn on that light source you would think it would pass you by very slowly, since light speed is 100% and you fly at 99%.
With moving cars on the highway we would see the car passing really slowly, however for light... nope, the light beam that goes past you will be going away from you at 100% speed of light. Time is relative to each person.

- Ectezus

so if I understand correctly, we can only travel forward in time, but not backwards?

 

[Chalnoth]

so if I understand correctly, we can only travel forward in time, but not backwards?

This does appear to be the case, yes. We can travel forward in time at different relative speeds depending upon how fast we travel in space. But we can't actually go backwards, so far as anybody is yet aware.

 

[corvus_corax]

Nothing can go faster than light, so something has to give and that something is time.

That isn't exactly what special relativity excludes.
Although SR does exclude Superman doing so, of course, since he wasn't always traveling faster than c to begin with.


Personally, I prefer the physics of the original Superman (before he could actually fly, before his stength/etc was explained by a yellow star, etc etc etc )

 

[Ectezus]

so if I understand correctly, we can only travel forward in time, but not backwards?

I used the example of 'forward time travel' because this is observable and proven.
'Backward time travel' is still largely unknown but as far as I know it is not impossible. There are examples where it might be possible and Einsteins theory doesn't exclude the idea.

- Ectezus

 

[Skaloop]

I recently read a book called The Physics of Superheroes that covered the time-reversal of the Superman movie (among other things) and deals with other stuff, like The Flash running on water or Spiderman swinging from building to building, and what would be required for those sorts of things to be possible. Great book.

http://www.amazon.com/Physics-Superheroes-James-Kakalios/dp/1592402429/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b