I thought he was using light signals. But even then your answer hits at the solution. If they were light signals then from the cars standpoint they travel at different angles from the horizontal so that they travel different distances and wind up meeting at the same time off center.
Indeed he was using light signal. I, however, consider what happens inside the bomb-device, namely that the chemicals will flow at different rates from their respective chambers to the point where they meet as seen from the train. When you then consider that the chemicals are released at different times, it makes sense that they will still meet at the same time as seen from the train.
If they travel at less than the speed of light then yes they travel at different rates. If the process was light like which I think was his intent then the angles from the horizontal are all thats different so that they travel different distances to the point of intersection and meet at the same time. Either way, there is no real paradox in it. He should have thought it through more thoroughly.
I thought he was using light signals. But even then your answer hits at the solution. If they were light signals then from the cars standpoint they travel at different angles from the horizontal so that they travel different distances and wind up meeting at the same time off center.
WaiteDavid137 4 years ago
Indeed he was using light signal. I, however, consider what happens inside the bomb-device, namely that the chemicals will flow at different rates from their respective chambers to the point where they meet as seen from the train. When you then consider that the chemicals are released at different times, it makes sense that they will still meet at the same time as seen from the train.
theodicrum 4 years ago
If they travel at less than the speed of light then yes they travel at different rates. If the process was light like which I think was his intent then the angles from the horizontal are all thats different so that they travel different distances to the point of intersection and meet at the same time. Either way, there is no real paradox in it. He should have thought it through more thoroughly.
WaiteDavid137 4 years ago