Hafele-Keating Experiment (1971)

Top 10 Time Travel Experiments

Hafele-Keating Experiment (1971): Scientists flew atomic clocks on commercial jets around the world to test Einstein’s relativity. Results confirmed time dilation: clocks moving eastward (with Earth’s rotation) ran slower than stationary ones, while westward clocks ran faster, due to velocity and gravitational differences. This proved time isn’t absolute; motion and gravity affect its flow. Though nanoseconds were gained or lost, it validated that high-speed travel literally shifts one into the future relative to others. This foundational experiment underpins GPS technology and remains direct evidence that time travel to the future, in a limited sense, is scientifically possible through relativistic effects.

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Arianna - September 11, 2025TOP

The Hafele-Keating Experiment of 1971 provided groundbreaking empirical evidence for Einstein's theory of relativity. Scientists flew atomic clocks aboard commercial jets around the world, both eastward and westward. Upon comparison with stationary clocks at the U.S. Naval Observatory, the traveling clocks had indeed experienced measurable time dilation. The eastward-flying clocks lost time due to their high velocity, while the westward-flying clocks gained time due to the reduced rotational speed of the Earth. This confirmed that time is not absolute but relative to motion and gravity.

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