Thursday, October 14, 2010

'Tabletop' science confirms relativity

Definitions
Einstein's theory of relativity-A part of the theory related to this post is the faster you travel, the slower time moves, the heavier you get and longer things become shorter. Nothing to you is different. Your clock will still tick away at the same rate. An observer, however, would notice your clock running slower. You would notice the observer's clock runining slower while they would be seeing things perfectly normal. It's all relative to the observer. General relativity incorporates gravity into the equation and shows how gravity effects time, bends light and thus effects time. A clock for intance on the ground next to the Empire State building will run faster than a clock on the top of the building because the pull of the earth causes clocks to run slightly slower then a clock that is further away from the center of the planet. 





Summary
Exploring the peculiar effects of Einstein's relativity theory is no longer rocket science. Using extremely precise atomic clocks, scientists have witnessed the phenomenon of time dilation. Time dilation happens in two situations, where time appears to move more slowly the closer you are to a massive object, and it speeds up for someone at rest relative to someone moving. Now researchers have used two atomic clocks sitting atop steel tables in neighboring labs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colo. Each keeps time by vibrating an atom of aluminum more than a quadrillion times per second. A 75-meter-long optical cable connects the clocks, which allows the scientists to compare the instruments. The researches first raised one clock about a foot in relation to the other, and the lower clock ran more slowly, at the rate of losing a 90-billionth of second in 79 years. They then caused one clock to move slightly, and the moving clock ran slower than the one at rest.


Discussion
I chose this topic because I think that the concept of relativity is extremely interesting. This method can be used as a deep-sleep chamber or an interrogative chamber. In the future, Einstein's theory of relativity could advance into many things such as slowing down time or speeding it up. Overall, the concept is vast and can be researched on further to prove and discover many things.


Questions
Who is working on researching Einstein's theory of relativity?
Is there signs of improvements on this subject?


Bibliography
Stanford. Einstein's Relativity Theory. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2010.
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Science Online. Science Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2010.
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New Science Theory. Einstein's Relativity Theory. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2010.
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