Special Theory of Relativity in Absolute Space and the Symmetric Twin Paradox ( On the Possibility of Absolute Motion )

Abstract. Departing from the traditional case where one twin stays put while the other rockets into space, we con-sider the case of identically accelerated twins. Both twins depart at uniform relativistic speeds in opposite directions for a round trip from the Earth on their 21th birthday destined into space to some distant constellation that is a distance L0 in the rest frame of the Earth. A “proper ” application of the Special Theory of Relativity (STR) tells us that the Earth bound observers will conclude that on the day of reunion, both twins must both have aged the same albeit their clocks (which where initially synchronized with that of the Earth bound observers) will have registered a duration less than that registered by the Earth bound observers. In the traditional twin paradox, it is argued that the stay at home twin will have aged more than the traveling twin and the asymmetry is attributed to the fact that the travelling twin’s frame of reference is not an inertial reference frame during the periods of acceleration and deceleration making it illegal for the travelling twin to use the STR in their frame, thus “resolving ” the paradox. This same argument does not hold in the case considered here as both twins will undergo identical experiences where each twin sees the other as the one that is in motion. This means, each twin must conclude that the other twin is the one that is younger. They will conclude that their ages must be numerically different, thus disagreeing with the Earth bound observers that their ages are the same. This leads us to a true paradox whose resolution is found in the deduction that motion must be absolute. We provide a thought-experiment on how to measure absolute motion. Through this thought-experiment, we extend the second postulate of the STR to include the direction of propagation of light,