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We know that photons 'bend' to gravity, so you can say that light is 'influenced' by gravity Mike. And yes, you can turn it around if you like and state that we have some 'forces' (not really forces per se, but I'm using the word for lack of a better here) that are in a 'equilibrium' at all times, adapting to each other. In a way that was Einsteins thought too, as I understands it.But in his world it was light that was the weight in the scale, the other adapting themselves around its invariant speed. In yours it will be gravity? That is the defining factor, and that light needs to be at 'c', if I understand you right?
Mike: You posted over me, but here goes anyway.-----------------I think it's more a conceptual thing.We are conditioned to think that there is some sort of master clock that controls everything. There isn't. Time is purely local, but that local time controls absolutely every process from the activity in atoms to the rotation of planets, and also the movement of light.All we can say is that clocks may not agree because time is not univesal, and there is plenty of hard evidence to confirm this.
Yes I have already explained that. You refer to it as (time is not universal,) so you know exactly what I am trying to say. If you can think of or know of a better term to explain the phenomenal I would love to know what it is.
Time dilation?
By the way, different observers measure time differently (time dilation) but they also measure lengths differently (length contraction). Is there a reason you think time dilation is more important than length contraction?
Quote from: MikeS on 06/05/2011 21:32:35Yes I have already explained that. You refer to it as (time is not universal,) so you know exactly what I am trying to say. If you can think of or know of a better term to explain the phenomenal I would love to know what it is.I'll give it one more shot []Here is an analogy. Like any analogy, you will be able to blow many holes in it, but it might help.We talk about atmospheric pressure. We know it varies on Earth for many reasons, but I don't think we can define a Universal standard for pressure.Time is not so different. It's different all over the joint.However, while it's easy to measure differences in pressure locally, it's impossible to measure differences in time locally because the local time affects all time measuring devices, including human metabolism, and anything else you can think of.
Quote from: JP on 06/05/2011 21:42:48Time dilation?Only works for time dilation not for contraction.
Indeed. "The speed of light is constant" is a slightly abused phrase. The speed of light is constant in a vacuum locally in curved space-time (of globally in flat space-time). In your black hole example, the speed of light is constant when measured over a tiny enough patch of space, but it isn't constant over large distances because of the curvature of space-time.And of course, if light hits matter, it slows down because of interactions with the matter.
Quote from: JP on 06/05/2011 21:43:32By the way, different observers measure time differently (time dilation) but they also measure lengths differently (length contraction). Is there a reason you think time dilation is more important than length contraction?I just cannot understand what does gravitational delay of light? Length contraction or time dilation?