oldprof
Newbie

Posts: 16
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« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2011, 04:31:30 PM » |
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Time is the unfolding of events. Included in those events are all those biological events that support life and lead to aging... like heart rate, basal metabolism, etc. So, yes indeed, the twin on the moving platform is actually aging slower relative to his sister back on Earth. When bro returns after sixty years out there in deep space, sis will be sixty years older biologically and bro will be only thirty years older.
It's not only biological events that slow down either. A metronome, beating out a steady rate, will slow down as his sister watches it from Earth (she has very good eyes). The second hand on the platform's wall clock will fall farther and farther behind a comparable clock on the sister's office wall. And the Rolex Oyster on the brother's wrist will run slower and slower compared to his sister's Timex as the platform speeds up. [Note, the special theory of relativity does not apply while the platform is accelerating, but we can assume it goes steady state at each increase in speed.]
In case you missed it, time dilation is how we fly into the future. [See source.] In your example, when the bro returns from his trip to the star not quite 30 ly away (60 yr round trip), assuming he departed in 2011 and instantly gets up to speed, he will return to Earth in 2071. That's to be expected. But, this is important, his calendar on board the platform will read 2041. So when bro steps off the ship onto terra firma back home, he will be thirty years into his future. And all his family and friends will have aged thirty more years than he did.
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