The Twin Paradox: Why it is Required by Relativity (2011)
Website: www.RelativityChallenge.com
The Twin Paradox is one of the most well known and debated paradoxes associated with Relativity theory. Opponents challenge Relativity theory on the grounds that the Twin Paradox reveals an underlying flaw in the theory. Such opponents feel that the existence of a paradox, in and of itself, is sufficient to disqualify the theory.
Supporters explain the paradox by introducing the concept of acceleration into the theory, thus limiting the interpretation to the twin that was undergoing the force of acceleration. However, both interpretations fail to explain why Relativity requires the paradox, which is actually the result of using a length based model to interpret wavelength based observations. Here we show the proper use and interpretation of wavelength based observations using wavelength based equations, and how the mistaken use of length based equations results in time dilation, length contraction, and the Twin Paradox.
1. Introduction
Some challengers of Relativity theory have attacked its validity on the basis of the Twin Paradox [1, 2]. Relativity theory, which defines space-time concepts such as time dilation and length contraction, establishes that an object travelling at a faster velocity will experience a slower passage of time than an object travelling at a slower velocity [3]. The Twin Paradox identifies a specific problem associated with the reflective nature of how time dilation is defined and interpreted. The paradox begins with an assumption of two twin sisters, who are living on earth and, of course, are the same age. One sister is then placed into a rocket and propelled into space at nearly the speed of light. After 50 years, she returns to earth. From the perspective of the twin on earth, it is the sister in the rocket that was moving away, and as a result was undergoing time dilation and aging more slowly than her earthly bound sibling. However, from the perspective of the twin in the rocket, it is the sister on earth that was moving away and undergoing time dilation, resulting in the sibling on Earth aging more slowly. Some believe that the reflective nature of time dilation that results in the Twin Paradox is, in and of itself, sufficient to nullify Relativity theory. The author has previously established that such paradoxical arguments are inherently weak due to the fact that they assume that all of the preceding underlying assumptions, mathematics, and logic are correct [4].
Supporters of Relativity theory have offered explanations regarding their interpretation of time dilation that avoids production of a Twin Paradox [5]. However, there does not appear to be a single universally accepted explanation for the Twin Paradox [2]. A widely supported position is that time dilation occurs only with respect to the sister who undergoes the force associated with acceleration; in other words, the sister in the rocket. While this explanation is sufficient to neutralize the reflective nature of time dilation and remove the paradox, it is built upon information not present in Einstein’s foundational papers [3, 6]. Rather, it is built upon an assumed relationship between acceleration and time. However, Einstein does not discuss acceleration as one of the variables in the development of his theory, so such a conclusion is interpretive rather than derived. While the acceleration explanation may be an acceptable answer to some, it is not acceptable to others. The acceleration explanation does not answer the question of why time dilation, length contraction, or the Twin Paradox are required artefacts of Relativity theory.
We have previously identified mathematical equations that provide more accurate predictions of experimental results than Relativity theory [7, 8]. This increased accuracy is defined as a smaller error between the predicted result and the actual result in experiments such as Michelson and Morley (error of <3 km/s versus 5 to 8 km/s), Miller (error of <1 km/s versus 9 to 11 km/s), and Ives-Stillwell (error of 0.001 Hz versus 0.02 Hz) [7, 8].
The revised mathematical equations that yield the increased accuracy are grounded in the finding that the experimental observations fall into one of two categories: Length based and Wavelength based observations. Because the revised analyses use wavelength based algorithms to interpret wavelength based experiments, they perform quantitatively better than the equations associated with Relativity theory. In this paper, we show that the inability of Relativity theory to properly distinguish wavelength from length creates its need for concepts like time dilation and length contraction, the former of which leads to the Twin Paradox.
The introduction of a theoretical class that distinguishes between wavelength based and length based observations and equations leads to an easier to understand and more comprehensive theoretical model [9].
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