The invisibility of time dilation

Image via Pixabay

Many Einsteinian phenomena are invisible to the naked eye and defy our everyday experiences. In our latest paper, Theo Hughes and I explore how we can picture time dilation 🤓

We expose a pervasive misconception about relativistic time dilation and present a thought experiment that illustrates the difference between visual observation and coordinate measurement. We also point out how existing language can mislead and confuse students. By unpacking ‘the invisibility of time dilation’ from the perspectives of both physics and pedagogy, we aim to help teachers provide clearer instructions in the physics classroom 🙃