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Blog: Einstein in the News
Einstein's Relativity Theory Still PerplexesTuesday, March 01, 2005
Researchers have discovered the possibility of billions or trillions of stars and planets like our own in existence, but can you imagine what would happen if you could visit just one of them at near light-speed?
In the 100th anniversary year of Albert Einstein's published theory of special relativity, the physics of reaching even the closest of star systems remain daunting, said Dr. Jerry Pournelle (author and Science Editor of Byte magazine). Assuming a near light-speed propulsion system were invented, getting to Proxima Centauri (the star nearest to the Sun) would take 4.2 years one way.
There are bigger problems, he adds. Einstein's 1905 theory of special relativity says that if we could travel at or near the speed of light, time, as regulated by a stationary point such as Earth, would differ greatly from time as measured on the moving vessel. Meaning? "Space travelers returning to Earth would have experienced only a few years, while decades could have passed on Earth," said Dr. Pournelle.
Full story from Sci-Tech Today. posted by Einstein A to Z
