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I've done a bit of reading about the twin paradox, as well as watched a few videos and the Wikipedia page on it, however, I don’t understand how their explanations explain away the problem. They claim that the acceleration solves the issue, however, don’t we arrive at the same problem? In the earth point of view the astronaut is accelerating, but you might as well see the earth as accelerating in the astronauts view. In other words, same problem, just with acceleration rather than velocity.

Edward Garemo
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In the earth point of view the astronaut is accelerating, but you might as well see the earth as accelerating in the astronauts view. In other words, same problem, just with acceleration rather than velocity.

Lets make the problem simpler. Suppose you have two rocket ships instead of earth and rocket, side by side. One rocket fires off. The man in the firing rocket feels the acceleration pushing him to the seat, the man with the quiet engines does not, so each knows who is moving away. The firing rocket frame is not an inertial frame and can be separated experimentally.

It is similar with the optical illusion when you are stopped in your car next to a stopped bus, and the bus suddenly starts to move forward : you have the optical illusion you are sliding back. You know that you are not moving, because there is no dv/dt (acceleration) , and your body immediately corrects the optical illusion.

anna v
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In the earth point of view the astronaut is accelerating, but you might as well see the earth as accelerating in the astronauts view.

It is not symmetric. You can clearly say which system is accelerated. Just imagine they guy in the rocket being pressed into his seat. The guy on earth does not feel that.

notgiven
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I would propose an answer: There is no paradox. When the traveling twin passes the stationary on his way back, he appears to be younger. However, if he stops at the starting point, he looks and is at the same age as the stationary twin. The two clocks (hearts) are tik-tak-ing at the same rythm all the time - according to the principle of relativity. Accelerations are not considered in special relativity. torben

Torben Friis
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