Physics majors - need help

[DWarrior]

I remember my physics prof showed us a cool visualization of Lorentz Tranformation as a 3d rendering of a train going by fast. It was basically the train plus its side visible (with appropriate distortions). It was a more elaborate version of this:



which is all I could find in my textbook. The top is what these 25 rods would look like at rest (red side towards observer, white on the side), and the bottom two images show how they would look as they moved past with increasing velocity (middle is .2c and bottom is .8c), as you can see their "side" now becomes visible, even though they're still pointing "at" the observer.

But that doesn't look as cool as the train rendering, which I've been searching for everywhere but can't seem to find at all. I already checked a ton of keyword combinations on google images.

[Keith]

You're thinking of Aesop's Train. It was later proven to be a hoax.

Check Snopes next time.

[tuttle88]

I have decided to read this as a statement: Physics majors need help. And I agree you guys are weirdos.

[Forbin]

Originally Posted by DWarrior

Look at me, I'm studying relativity!

BTW, what is it with cosmologists and trains? Give it a rest, draw a car or something every once in a while.

[DWarrior]

Originally Posted by Forbin

BTW, what is it with cosmologists and trains? Give it a rest, draw a car or something every once in a while.

But I think it was largely because trains were popular around Einstein's era, so all the examples stuck.

[DWarrior]

Found it!

at rest:


Moving at 87% speed of light:


Shadow:


Quicktime movie: Relativistic Tram

Other trippy stuff from the site:

[fluxquanta]

Glad I could help. Also, those pictures aren't showing up.

[DWarrior]

Originally Posted by fluxquanta

Glad I could help. Also, those pictures aren't showing up.

Should be fixed now.