Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 14:58:32 -0800
From: Michael Andre-Driussi 
Subject: RE: (urth) probable distance from Urth to Bleen

Jerry Friedman quoted me and wrote:
>> Hmmm.  The text is pretty clear that the Objective Time has been 1000
>> years
>> (LS3, ch 6, p. 242) and the Subjective Time has been 332 years (date on
>> letters).
>
>I'd like to pick a nit too.  I think you mean Urth time and Whorl
>time.  According to the theory of relativity that you're basing your
>calculations on, they're equally objective (or subjective).  Otherwise,
>thanks for doing the calculations!  I think what we learn from them
>is the order of magnitude: the Short Sun is probably some hundreds
>of light-years from Urth, and probably toward the higher end of that
>range.


Um, no, Jerry . . . when the Whorl is at rest, the Whorl people experience
time at the same flow as people on Urth or Blue or Green, but at near-light
speeds subjective time (the passage of time experienced by the crew) is
compressed compared to the objective time of the rest of the universe (or
technically "any other location that is not accelerated to NAFAL
velocities," which happens to encompass most of the universe).  This is the
basis of the famous "twin paradox."  (I'm not coining the use of
"objective" and "subjective" here: that is how it is done.)  Look into it,
if you like, since it is fascinating!  Or just take my word for it.

=mantis=



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