A physics professor will try to turn back time

A physics professor will try to turn back time in an experiment at the Miami
Museum of Science.

BY RAFAEL SANGIOVANNI

Herald Writer


It's back to the future all over again -- at least, that's what Carlos Dolz
has in mind.

The Florida International University physics professor plans to take time to
task at 10 a.m. Wednesday, when he presents an experiment that involves
using acceleration to speed up a digital clock by four seconds.

Dolz's experiment -- which takes six hours to finish -- will become part of
Playing With Time, the current exhibit at the Miami Museum of Science.

Dolz, who has been a lecturing theoretical physicist for nine years, really
doesn't know where his experiment could lead.

''The point of this is to question how things really work,'' he said. ``This
goes beyond common understanding.''

The aptly titled ''Time Shift Experiment'' combines some of the most
complicated physics concepts with simple machines and -- Dolz said -- may
prove that time travel is possible.

Time shifts are not uncommon, the professor said. There have been
experiments in the past that compared atomic clocks on fast-flying planes to
those on the ground. The clocks on board the planes showed a slight shift
forward, Dolz said.

He said he became even more fascinated by time when he was studying
gravity -- he found that he could not truly understand one without the
other.

He began fiddling with time shifts in his experiments and was approached by
Museum of Science officials in late 2003.

They had decided to host the time exhibit to pique public interest in the
abstract concept of time.

''[Time] is a hands-on phenomenon,'' said Sean Duran, director of exhibits
at the Museum of Science. 'This exhibit helps [people] to get some of those
`big-picture' questions that were posed by the big guys like Einstein.''

They wanted Dolz to come aboard with his presentation.

But unlike the other time experiments on display, which are already proven
and made for learning, Dolz's is an authentic first-time experiment made for
both learning and discovery.

He hopes to stir up the public's preconceptions about time, gravity and
acceleration.

''A big problem for science is common sense. It works for most everything in
people's lives, but not in physics,'' he said. ``It's limited to point of
view and perspective, [so] it's really not enough.''

The experiment involves putting a digital clock under immense force by
spinning it on a centrifuge.

The basic idea behind the experiment is to speed up the frequency of the
pulses, or ticks, produced by the clock with force to push it ahead.

Dolz said it takes about six hours to move the clock ahead four seconds.

While past experiments were expensive and produced minimal results, Dolz
said he is taking an economical approach and shooting for a range of
results.

''He can use very simple tools to come to some of the same grand
conclusions,'' said Duran, adding that Dolz's experiment could prove
Einstein's theory that time is only relative.

Dolz's four-second time shift, when compared to the plane experiments, is
considered a huge change -- so much so that scientists from various
universities will be monitoring the experiment.

Wouldn't acceleration cause time to slow down? Why is it speeding up time?
JS

"Crusader" wrote in message
.. .
A physics professor will try to turn back time in an experiment at the
Miami
Museum of Science.

BY RAFAEL SANGIOVANNI

Herald Writer


It's back to the future all over again -- at least, that's what Carlos
Dolz
has in mind.

The Florida International University physics professor plans to take time
to
task at 10 a.m. Wednesday, when he presents an experiment that involves
using acceleration to speed up a digital clock by four seconds.

Dolz's experiment -- which takes six hours to finish -- will become part
of
Playing With Time, the current exhibit at the Miami Museum of Science.

Dolz, who has been a lecturing theoretical physicist for nine years,
really
doesn't know where his experiment could lead.

''The point of this is to question how things really work,'' he said.
``This
goes beyond common understanding.''

The aptly titled ''Time Shift Experiment'' combines some of the most
complicated physics concepts with simple machines and -- Dolz said -- may
prove that time travel is possible.

Time shifts are not uncommon, the professor said. There have been
experiments in the past that compared atomic clocks on fast-flying planes
to
those on the ground. The clocks on board the planes showed a slight shift
forward, Dolz said.

He said he became even more fascinated by time when he was studying
gravity -- he found that he could not truly understand one without the
other.

He began fiddling with time shifts in his experiments and was approached
by
Museum of Science officials in late 2003.

They had decided to host the time exhibit to pique public interest in the
abstract concept of time.

''[Time] is a hands-on phenomenon,'' said Sean Duran, director of exhibits
at the Museum of Science. 'This exhibit helps [people] to get some of
those
`big-picture' questions that were posed by the big guys like Einstein.''

They wanted Dolz to come aboard with his presentation.

But unlike the other time experiments on display, which are already proven
and made for learning, Dolz's is an authentic first-time experiment made
for
both learning and discovery.

He hopes to stir up the public's preconceptions about time, gravity and
acceleration.

''A big problem for science is common sense. It works for most everything
in
people's lives, but not in physics,'' he said. ``It's limited to point of
view and perspective, [so] it's really not enough.''

The experiment involves putting a digital clock under immense force by
spinning it on a centrifuge.

The basic idea behind the experiment is to speed up the frequency of the
pulses, or ticks, produced by the clock with force to push it ahead.

Dolz said it takes about six hours to move the clock ahead four seconds.

While past experiments were expensive and produced minimal results, Dolz
said he is taking an economical approach and shooting for a range of
results.

''He can use very simple tools to come to some of the same grand
conclusions,'' said Duran, adding that Dolz's experiment could prove
Einstein's theory that time is only relative.

Dolz's four-second time shift, when compared to the plane experiments, is
considered a huge change -- so much so that scientists from various
universities will be monitoring the experiment.