There are lots of versions of this question around, but I don't think that any of the ones that I've reviewed have really answered it, other than to say: We can't know. So, let me try another spin (so to speak) on it: From a photon's point of view, it takes zero time to get anywhere (by time contraction), and (probably as part-and-parcel of the exact same relativistic phenomena) all distances have contracted to zero (by length contraction). [Just to be clear, I'm NOT talking about OUR perception of time, and lengths of thing traveling with the photon; I'm talking about the photon's perception of things - say the light years between stars -- that are NOT traveling with the photon.] Okay, so then how is it that, to that photon, or perhaps etc very photon, there is any space at all? That is, if all distances are (to it) zero, and it can get anywhere in zero time (to it), does all of space look like a single point to a photon? And if that's true, then all the photons in the universe would look like they are in the same place (to them), and it would be as though the Big Bang never happened (to them). And since photons are the carriers of all force ... um ... okay, I've burned out my brain. Help! (One way that maybe this is all defeasible is that a photon isn't a thing at all, it's a vibration in the 4D (or 11D, if you prefer) background fields. But vibrations have propagation rate -- and that rate is, in our universe, c. So, even though it's clock doesn't appear to move, because it's moving so fast that it's caught up with the edge of the Minkowski cone, it's still propagating in the spatial dimensions, just not perceiving that propagation...or something....or maybe I'm just talking gibberish, which seems like the most likely truth!)
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
0
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
In relativistic theory, the proper time τ of an object is the time measured in "the" frame of reference of this object, i.e. in a frame of reference where it is motionless. For photons, there is no frame of reference where it is at rest, so time dilation, length contraction,..., has no physical meaning for photons.
