twin paradox

British  

noun

1. a phenomenon predicted by relativity. One of a pair of identical twins is supposed to live normally in an inertial system whilst the other is accelerated to a high speed in a spaceship, travels for a long time, and finally returns to rest beside his twin. The travelled twin will be found to be younger than his brother

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twin paradox Cultural  

1. An effect predicted by the general theory of relativity: if one of a pair of twins remains on Earth, and the other travels in a rocket at a speed near the speed of light, the traveling twin will be younger than the earthbound twin upon returning to Earth. This effect has been verified experimentally by measurements with atomic clocks.

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Example Sentences

One work that left a deep impression was Robert Heinlein’s Time for the Stars, whose premise was the twin paradox, an early 20th century thought experiment that sought to explain a mind-bending aspect of Albert Einstein’s special theory of relativity.

From Science Magazine

In fact, thanks to special relativity, you can end up with two twins having different ages, the famous “twin paradox.”

From National Geographic

Albert Einstein’s twin paradox is one of the most famous thought experiments in physics.

From Scientific American

The lives of stars and the twin paradox are just two examples of astrophysicists making sense of the unfamiliar through our own biology.

From Scientific American

More extreme is the “twin paradox” devised to facilitate a correct conception of time.

From Scientific American