Einstein's twin paradox explained - Amber Stuver
Why Physics Stack Exchange recommends it
Physics Stack Exchange users link it as a short visual explanation of the twin paradox, though several also cite it as a source of confusion about symmetric time dilation and the light-flash accounting.
Recommended by 1 people across 1 different months, 2020 to 2024.
What it is
A six-minute TED-Ed animation by physicist Amber Stuver that introduces the twin paradox. Twin astronauts Terra and Stella part ways, one staying on Earth and one travelling to a star 10 light-years away and back, and a spacetime graph with light flashes is used to show why the traveller ends up younger.
What people said
Recommends AXensen · 2024-02 · Physics Stack Exchange · on “If you have two clocks moving toward each other and they both stop when they meet does it point to a paradox?”
When they meet they are no longer moving relative to each other. So they do not see each other as being slower in that moment. Am I misunderstanding your question? Otherwise if you're asking about the two seeing eachother as slower while they are still moving toward eachother, this is just the "twin paradox" and I think this video explains the resolution very well [this video]
Cites tryingtobeastoic · 2021-11 · Physics Stack Exchange · on “Why does everyone say that the faster you move through space, the slower you move through time, when that's not the case?”
@MichaelSims Yes, that is the way that works (source) [this video] . However, DvijD.C. 's point is that from the perspective of the person traveling, time will go normally. He will not get any extra time than a static person. Does that make sense?
Cites Sameeran Rao · 2023-04 · Physics Stack Exchange · on “Twin paradox symmetry in time dilation during the first leg”
I was watching this Ted Ed video [this video] on Youtube about the twin paradox and found the explanation with the spacetime graph a bit confusing. At 3:00 in the video, they show a graph and explain how bursts are sent by each twin to measure how much time has passed for the other twin. My understanding is that at least during the first leg of the journey (until the traveling twin turns back), both observers must feel like time slows down by the same amount for the other twin, since their relative speeds are the same. However, the video seems to indicate that Terra feels that one year has passed for Stella when 2 have passed on Earth. But Stella sees that one year has passed on earth when 4 have
Critical user137288 · 2020-12 · Physics Stack Exchange · on “Does time dilation depend on approximation or distancing between observers?”
Thanks for the answer, it's absolutely correct. My misunderstanding of the twin paradox (the clocks running faster on the return journey) comes from this video [this video] . Maybe it's because the video uses "flashes of light" to account for the passage of time? Do you know a way to reconcile your (absolutely correct) interpretation with the one from the video? Any tips will be extremely welcome.
Critical JEB · 2024-08 · Physics Stack Exchange · on “Difficulty Understanding Special Relativity Time Dilation”
@FlatterMann I'm showing the thought process. Warts and all. Hopefully it shows how an ill-posed question goes off the rails, and reasoned and deliberate consideration gets it back on track. (and that poor choice of values is problematic...and I am not blaming the OP...$\gamma=2$ seems reasonable. The complaint is more directed at professional works, such as TEDx's [this video] . I mean 23 years? The whole video is sus just based on that choice. It's a prime number, so no $\gamma$ can save the day. You want a base time $T$ such that $T$, $T/\gamma$, $T/\gamma^2$