Future Echoes: Hut in the Jungle +

John Watkins · 20 Mar 2009, 17:56 · from 2009-March.txt.gz

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From: john.watkins04 at gmail.com (John Watkins)
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:56:43 -0400
Subject: (urth) Future Echoes: Hut in the Jungle +
In-Reply-To: <519589.54056.qm at web50701.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
References: <93d4039f0903200954r1cd8272j2f765b8ae676e706 at mail.gmail.com>
	<519589.54056.qm at web50701.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <93d4039f0903201056p124eb478m45c73cce70de95f7 at mail.gmail.com>

On Fri, Mar 20, 2009 at 1:53 PM, Jerry Friedman <jerry_friedman at yahoo.com>wrote:

>
> --- On Fri, 3/20/09, John Watkins <john.watkins04 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Dorcas thinks that the Claw works by reversing time.
> > I've always thought
> > that that was wrong-headed--that it just works because
> > it's divine power--magic.
> >
> > Now that I read this passage, however, I'm starting to
> > come around to
> > Dorcas's view.  My knowledge of physics is pretty
> > minimal, but I have this
> > vague idea that time slows down as one speeds up and would
> > actually go
> > backwards if one could exceed the speed of light, which of
> > course is impossible.
> ...
>
> In Special Relativity, exceeding the speed of light would
> not make time go backwards.  Formally, it would make time
> an imaginary number (one reason to think exceeding the speed
> of light is impossible).
>
> However, still in SR, if you could exceed the speed of light,
> you could go backwards in time in a roundabout way.  Like
> the lady named Bright, you could go from point A at a
> certain time to point B at a similar time (whether before
> or after depends on your reference frame) and back to
> point A at an earlier time than when you set out (another
> reason to think exceeding the speed of light is
> impossible).
>

This may or may not be a crucial plot point in An Evil Guest.



>
> As I recall, there are suggestions of SR in the Sun books,
> but I don't see them as "hard science" based on it.  They're
> much more speculative.
>
> I too enjoy Jordon's idea that the goblet once held wine.
>
> By the way, I annoyed Michael Andre-Driussi on this list
> by arguing with him about relativity (I think) and not
> mentioning till after he continued arguing that I teach
> physics.  So to avoid that--trust me, I'm a physicist
> (sort of).



Thanks...as I said, my understanding of the topic is vague at best.  I
appreciate the correction.


>
>
> Jerry Friedman
>
>
>
>
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