Photo: Eladora / Ezume Images / Shutterstock
Time is relative, after all.
By NyRee Ausler — Written on Nov 27, 2022
There are a million theories about the human species and how we interact with the earth.
Quantum physics is the study of matter and energy. It discovers what the building blocks of nature are.
Many theories have been birthed out of quantum physics. One is that an object can be in two places at the same time. Another is that quantum physics will eventually lead us to a multiverse.
Albert Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity helps to understand how gravity impacts time. The Einstein theory argues that space and time are connected. He believed that large objects warp space and time, resulting in a gravitational field.
What is gravitational time dilation?
Earth is a large mass and, according to Einstein’s theory, it causes a curving of space. Light has to follow the curved geometry of the earth, so time is perceived differently.
This is known as gravitational time dilation.
In layman’s terms, time runs slower the closer you are to the surface of the earth. At higher altitudes, time ticks away milliseconds faster than on earth.
One TikToker explains perfectly how a tall person is technically traveling through time faster than a short person.
As an example, the time on GPS satellites passes slightly faster than the time on earth, albeit just by a fraction of a second. The lower your altitude, the slower time passes.
With that said, it makes sense that taller people age slightly faster than shorter people. So, if you decided to leave your home, which is at sea level and live on Mount Everest you would age more quickly.
However, when traveling through space at the speed of light, time moves more slowly. This is why astronauts have to advance their watches to remain in sync with the time on earth. The same is true with a global positioning system.
The laws of physics are the same for anything that has not been sped up or slowed down. This is called an inertial reference frame. In other words, time is relative to your frame of reference.
NASA uses time for determining a spacecraft’s distance from earth. Because of the speed of travel, a difference of milliseconds can result in big differences in how far away a craft is thought to be.
For space travel, navigators must have clocks that are precise and can measure to the billionth of a second. They also need those clocks to be stable and consistent.
The quartz crystal clocks that have been used in space tend to be inconsistent. Just a hour into space travel, they can be off by as much as a nanosecond (one billionth of a second)!
After traveling for six weeks, that discrepancy can be a full millisecond, which equates to a thousandth of a second, resulting in a 185-mile discrepancy.
Atomic clocks combine the classic crystal quartz clocks with a combination of atoms, creating better stability. These clocks automatically adjust to the atmospheric energy levels, making them much more accurate.
In conclusion, space and time is relative with no right or wrong answers. They are deeply connected and dependent upon one another.
Everything is impacted, including human beings.
More for You:
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and the author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.