The True Twin Paradox: Where Has The Time Gone?
The movie Contact is both an emotional and an engaging movie. It is thrilling to watch as the characters strive to understand an alien message that has come to them from the stars. Although the movie is amazing in many ways, its portrayal of the "Twin Paradox" is incorrect.
The "Twin Paradox" states that if a person is travelling away from the Earth at the speed of light they will appear to age more slowly when viewed by those remaining on Earth. However, to the person travelling the people on Earth would appear to age more slowly. Thus the paradox part of "Twin Paradox". If that person who is travelling at the speed of light were to turn around and come back to Earth, however, they would be younger than those who remained on Earth. The person who was travelling would have experienced less time than those on Earth.
In the movie Contact the characters Ellie Arroway, the scientist who first discovered the alien message, and Palmer Joss, a religious philosopher and love interest for Ellie, discuss this effect. Joss comments that if Arroway were to leave on the trip to follow the alien message, and if she returned, time would have passed more quickly on Earth and all the people she knowns would most likely be gone. This is correct, but later when Arroway does embark on this journey chasing after the alien message the movie messes up the "Twin Paradox".
Arroway enters the alien machine and falls through a worm hole. She travels to an alien planet and meets the beings that sent the message. When she returns to Earth Arroway insists that she was gone for 18 hours, but those on Earth never saw her leave, they believe she was only falling in the alien machine for minutes, not hours. This is a reversal of the "Twin Paradox". The person travelling at, or close to the speed of light is supposed to experience less time, not those on Earth.
The movie would need to switch the two perspectives. If I were to rewrite the film I would make it so that Arroway experienced 18 hours while travelling, but those on Earth experienced 18 days. Although this would then disturb the plot. Due to the short, practically unrecognizable duration of Arroway's journey, people on Earth do not believe she left Earth at all.
This rewrite of the "Twin Paradox" helps this movie portray the message it wants but disobeys the physics it is built on. As movie watchers we have to ask ourselves if we are willing to give up legitimate physics in exchange for fantastical stories or if the rules of physics should never be broken.
The "Twin Paradox" states that if a person is travelling away from the Earth at the speed of light they will appear to age more slowly when viewed by those remaining on Earth. However, to the person travelling the people on Earth would appear to age more slowly. Thus the paradox part of "Twin Paradox". If that person who is travelling at the speed of light were to turn around and come back to Earth, however, they would be younger than those who remained on Earth. The person who was travelling would have experienced less time than those on Earth.
In the movie Contact the characters Ellie Arroway, the scientist who first discovered the alien message, and Palmer Joss, a religious philosopher and love interest for Ellie, discuss this effect. Joss comments that if Arroway were to leave on the trip to follow the alien message, and if she returned, time would have passed more quickly on Earth and all the people she knowns would most likely be gone. This is correct, but later when Arroway does embark on this journey chasing after the alien message the movie messes up the "Twin Paradox".
Arroway enters the alien machine and falls through a worm hole. She travels to an alien planet and meets the beings that sent the message. When she returns to Earth Arroway insists that she was gone for 18 hours, but those on Earth never saw her leave, they believe she was only falling in the alien machine for minutes, not hours. This is a reversal of the "Twin Paradox". The person travelling at, or close to the speed of light is supposed to experience less time, not those on Earth.
The movie would need to switch the two perspectives. If I were to rewrite the film I would make it so that Arroway experienced 18 hours while travelling, but those on Earth experienced 18 days. Although this would then disturb the plot. Due to the short, practically unrecognizable duration of Arroway's journey, people on Earth do not believe she left Earth at all.
This rewrite of the "Twin Paradox" helps this movie portray the message it wants but disobeys the physics it is built on. As movie watchers we have to ask ourselves if we are willing to give up legitimate physics in exchange for fantastical stories or if the rules of physics should never be broken.
Or, can we work a little harder and write an ending that preserves the drama and interest, but also honors the laws of physics? That's what I was looking for.
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