Space-time symmetry is broken

TL;DR

The paper argues that space-time symmetry is broken in special relativity, challenging traditional interpretations of simultaneity and length contraction, and suggests that the core change from Newtonian physics is time dilation.

Contribution

It presents a new perspective on space-time symmetry breaking and reinterprets special relativity effects as primarily involving time dilation.

Findings

Space-time symmetry is broken in physical experiments.

Relativity of simultaneity and length contraction are unphysical.

The main modification from Newtonian physics is universal time dilation.

Abstract

Space-time intervals corresponding to different events on the worldline of any ponderable object (for example a clock) are time-like. In consequence, in the analysis of any space-time experiment involving clocks only the region for $c\Delta t \ge 0$ between the line $\Delta x = 0$ and the light cone projection $c\Delta t = \Delta x$ of the $c\Delta t$ versus $\Delta x$ Minkowski plot is physically relevant. This breaks the manifest space-time symmetry of the plot. A further consequence is the unphysical nature of the `relativity of simultaneity' and `length contraction' effects of conventional special relativity theory. The only modification of space-time transformation laws in passing from Galilean to special relativity is then the replacement of universal Newtonian time by a universal (position independent) time dilation effect for moving clocks.