So now (hypothetically) I've got this machine that will produce said energy
field. The field is just big enough to encompass the Lay-Z-Boy in my living
room. I sit in my Lay-Z-Boy and activate the machine. Time is slowed for
me, and my surroundings are, in effect, "fast-forwarding." People observing
me from outside the field would sort of see me as "frozen" (not aging). I'd
observe them moving extremely fast. After one minute, I'd see an entire day
elapse for people outside the field. After an entire day, people outside
the field would only see me age one minute.
Assuming all of the above is true, would people inside and out of the field
actually be able to "see" each other? Would light from the lamp beside my
Lay-Z-Boy be able to enter the "time field," bounce off of me, and leave the
field to be collected by observers' eyes? Would the speed / wavelength be
altered any? Would they even see anything at all except black? (I'd see
all black surroundings (except for my chair) and observers outside of the
field would see a "black hole" where my chair was).
Even deeper -- Would people outside of the field see my FUTURE as they
observed me? Would I actually be seeing their PAST as I observed them?
Perhaps it would be dependant on where the light source is (inside or
outside of the field). Would an out-of-field photon entering the field
reflect off of me what appeared to be my future to the out-of-field
observers? Would I see the observers' pasts if the photon reflected off of
them, into the field, and into my eyes? Perhaps it would all be reversed if
the light source was within the field. (I would see their futures and they
would see my past).
What startles me is the whole "speed of light being constant" thing.
Assuming the above is true, me sitting in the "time field" would observe
people outside of the field moving extremely fast. What about light? Would
the light outside of the field be moving faster than the light inside of the
field? Would what seems to be the "speed of light" to me (in the field)
actually be "outrun" by light outside of the field? Can this happen? Can
the light I observe outside the field actually move faster than my in-field
light appears to be moving? Doesn't this violate something that Einstein
said?
Perhaps the speed of a photon would change as it enters / leaves the field
(to match the speed of time inside and out of the field). This would create
up entirely new questions all together.
--I must admit that I really don't have the foggiest idea what I'm talkingabout. I haven't studied relativity or anything like that extensively. Idon't think I really even understand what I do know.
Thanks for reading.
-pb