Welcome! This web site has been setup by Michael A. Clubine and D. Alan E. Johnson in order to demonstrate one instance of what happens when you accelerate something towards the speed of light! That's 299,792,458 meters per second!

We have decided to focus our attention specifically to the matter of time. Did you know that as you accelerate closer and closer towards the speed of light, times slows down? It's true. In fact, every time you get in a car, airplane, train or any other moving vehicle, time slows down for you too! You don't notice it because the difference in time is so infinitesimal.

A good example of this is The Twin Paradox. Here is a brief explanation ... (Check out the explanation section for something a little more detailed.)

Imagine a set of twins out somewhere in space. One is standing inside a space-station and the other flies past in a rocket at a speed close to the speed of light. As the rocket passes the station, it immediately fires it's reverse thrusters until it comes to a stop. It then starts to accelerate back towards the station. When it reaches the station it has reached the same velocity as when it first passed.

The twins meet later to discuss the days events, but when they meet, they realize that one of them has aged much more than the other! The faster the rocket goes, the farther apart their timelines are!

Follow through to our Java Demonstration to try it for yourself!