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SR #10: Simultaneous Events
In the last two weeks I’ve covered relative motion as the ancients understood it (Galilean Relativity), touched on how light doesn’t follow those rules, and introduced time-space diagrams that we can...
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SR #11: Simultaneous, Not!
Last time our friend Al used lasers and timers to create a regular grid-like map of the space and time near him. The map allowed him to assign space-time coordinates to events in his frame of reference...
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SR #12: Relative Simultaneity
We started by exploring the idea that motion is relative. Now we see that the idea of simultaneity is relative! Events that Al sees as simultaneous in his frame of reference do not appear simultaneous...
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SR #13: Coordinate Systems
The main topic this week was how simultaneity is relative to your frame of reference. How there are (virtual) lines of simultaneity where all points on some line — at all distances from you — share the...
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SR #14: Trained Lightning
For the last three weeks I’ve been laying a firm groundwork for the more interesting part of the series. Perhaps there was too much time and detail: I seem to have lost much of my audience (not that...
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SR #15: Peace Treaty Train
Last time we explored the Simultaneous Lightning Strikes illustration of Special Relativity. In that scenario, on-the-ground observer Al sees simultaneous lightning strikes to a passing (very)...
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SR #16: A Train Too Long
The last two train examples (Lightning Strikes and Treaty Train) focused on how simultaneity is relative to motion. Our final train example focuses on how length is relative to motion. The faster...
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SR #17: Relative Length
Last time’s Too Long Train illustration demonstrates that length is relative. Observers moving at different rates measure the length of an object differently. The faster something moves in your frame...
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SR #18: Light Cones
Last time I focused on how it was possible for Al to see — even enclose in a tunnel — a train that appears shorter to him due to its motion. It turns out that the train Al sees is a stack of time...
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SR #24: FTL Radio
Over the last five weeks I’ve tried to explain and explore Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity. We’ve seen that motion, velocity, simultaneity, length, and even time, are all relative to your frame...
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SR #X2: Sorry, No FTL Radio
Earlier, in the March Mathness post, I mentioned Albert Einstein was born on March 14th. That’s also Pi Day, which deserved its own pi post (about pizza pi), so old Al had to wait for me to address a...
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SR #X3: Spacetime Interval
Speaking of Special Relativity, back when I wrote the SR series, one topic I left along the wayside was the concept of the spacetime interval. It wasn’t necessary for the goals of the series, and...
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SR #X4: Matrix Spacetime
I was gonna give us all the day off today, honestly, I was! My Minnesota Twins start their second game in about an hour, and I really planned to just kick back, watch the game, have a couple of beers,...
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Blocking the Universe
Walking and thinking! Recently I had a debate with someone who was downright evangelical about the Block Universe (BU) being, absolutely, positively, the way things are. Because Special Relativity. In...
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SR #X5: Still No FTL Radio?
Back in 2015, to celebrate Albert Einstein’s birthday, I wrote a month-long series of posts about Special Relativity. I still regard it as one of my better efforts here. The series oriented on...
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Back to Block
A crushed flower. This post has nothing to do with Amy Winehouse, sadly on the list of great talents who, poorly served by those in their lives, lost their way and died tragically and long before their...
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