Uploaded July 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Bell's spaceship paradox from special relativity has been tormenting physicists for decades. I try to settle the debate once and for all with the use of spacetime diagrams.

00:00 Cold Open
00:57 Physical Paradoxes
01:42 History of Spaceship Paradox
02:41 Spaceship Paradox Explained
04:59 Acceleration in Special Relativity
06:55 The Solution
08:36 The Limits
09:48 Sponsor Message
10:54 Outro
11:13 Featured Comment

Nick Lucid - Host/Writer/Editor/Animator
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VIDEO ANNOTATIONS/CARDS

Quantum Entanglement:
youtu.be/hiyKxhETXd8

Light is Infinite:
youtu.be/vPi1lyAx4ws

Length Contraction Explained:
youtu.be/TxW6_E3uLuo

Quasi-Stars:
youtu.be/oTC6OXSafRM
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RELATED YOUTUBE VIDEOS

Kyle Hill on Spaceship Paradox:
youtu.be/5iBtHroB978

Epic Math Time on Spaceship Paradox:
youtu.be/sGd1MqfZm1o

MinutePhysics on Spaceship Paradox:
youtu.be/kU8TEcie4hY
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OTHER SOURCES

aapt.scitation.org/doi/10.1119/1.1996214
aapt.scitation.org/doi/10.1119/1.1969514
aapt.scitation.org/doi/10.1119/1.1986781
danielhoek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Bell-How-to-teach-Special-Relativity.pdf
arxiv.org/abs/1712.05276
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LINKS TO COMMENTS

youtube.com/watch?v=oTC6OXSafRM&lc=UgzfjH4Mu7IFQrrNFel4AaABAg
youtube.com/watch?v=oTC6OXSafRM&lc=Ugx8xL-NaqfrGY7v9uB4AaABAg
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IMAGE CREDITS

Early People:
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John Stewart Bell:
https://cds.cern.ch/record/1766159