--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Time, we know, is relative. You can…" description: "\"Time, we know, is relative. You can travel light years through the stars and back, and if you do it at the speed of light then, when you return, you ma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a3/douglas-adams-122_brother_time-we-know-is-relative-you-can-travel_577148.jpg" --- # Time, we know, is relative. You can travel light years… ![“Time, we know, is relative. You can travel light years through the stars and back, and if you do it at the speed of light then, when you return, you may have aged mere seconds while your twin brother or sister will have aged twenty, thirty, forty or however many years it is, depending on how far…” quote by Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a3/douglas-adams-122_brother_time-we-know-is-relative-you-can-travel_577148.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a3/douglas-adams-122_brother_time-we-know-is-relative-you-can-travel_577148.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a3/douglas-adams-122_brother_time-we-know-is-relative-you-can-travel_577148.jpg) > “Time, we know, is relative. You can travel light years through the stars and back, and if you do it at the speed of light then, when you return, you may have aged mere seconds while your twin brother or sister will have aged twenty, thirty, forty or however many years it is, depending on how far you traveled. This will come to you as a profound shock, particularly if you didn't know you had a twin brother or sister.” [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relativity means time passes differently for travelers at light speed, causing shocking age differences with those left behind. **In simple terms:** Time changes with speed; twins age differently. Key Takeaway Consider the consequences of extreme travel. Themes science time relativity Mood wonderful speculative Type science fiction philosophical When to use this quote - space exploration - theoretical physics - education - storytelling Key Concepts physics twin paradox cosmic travel Questions to Reflect On - What ethical dilemmas arise from time dilation? - How would society handle such age gaps? A Different Perspective Practical travel at light speed is currently impossible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Forty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forty/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Know Twin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-twin-4382137/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Light years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light-years/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Mere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mere/) [Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound/) [Relative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relative/) [Relative Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relative-travel-4751483/) [Return](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/return/) [Seconds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seconds/) [Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shock/) [Sister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sister/) [Speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed/) [Speed of light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed-of-light/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Thirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirty/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Travel light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel-light/) [Traveled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traveled/) [Twenties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twenties/) [Twin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twin/) [Twin brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twin-brother/) [Twins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twins/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years Depending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-depending-4751482/) ## Related quotes > [“Twins need to know that they can be alone without their twin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-a-friedman-ph-d/twins-need-to-know-that-they-can-be-alone-without-their-twin/) [Joan A. Friedman Ph D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-a-friedman-ph-d/) > [You can play the coolest tricks when people don't know that you have a twin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-play-the-coolest-tricks-when-people-don-t-know-that-you-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A hole had just appeared in the Galaxy. It was exactly a nothingth of a second long, a nothingth of an inch wide, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/a-hole-had-just-appeared-in-the-galaxy-it-was-exactly-a-nothingth-of-2/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [A hole had just appeared in the Galaxy. It was exactly a nothingth of a second long, a nothingth of an inch wide, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/a-hole-had-just-appeared-in-the-galaxy-it-was-exactly-a-nothingth-of/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Thus even as servers die or are put to sleep, even as operating systems come and go, I can carry the work forward-despite all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ford/thus-even-as-servers-die-or-are-put-to-sleep-even-as-operating/) [Paul Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ford/) > [ “So," Art \[Green\] said, "it's hard to do Judaism and travel light. Judaism is not mostly about letting go, but mostly about attachment to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodger-kamenetz/so-art-green-said-it-s-hard-to-do-judaism-and-travel-light-judaism-is/) [Rodger Kamenetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodger-kamenetz/) > [Look famous. Be legendary. Appear Complex. Act easy. Radiate presence. Travel light. Seem a dream. Prove real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/look-famous-be-legendary-appear-complex-act-easy-radiate-presence/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Women can't travel light. We're in charge of the basic facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hortense-calisher/women-can-t-travel-light-we-re-in-charge-of-the-basic-facts/) [Hortense Calisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hortense-calisher/) > [I travel light obsessively. I take hardly any clothes or shoes because I think that all I need is a couple of work outfits,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlene-phillips/i-travel-light-obsessively-i-take-hardly-any-clothes-or-shoes-because/) [Arlene Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlene-phillips/) > [The thing I've learned is less is more. I travel as light as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-harrison/the-thing-i-ve-learned-is-less-is-more-i-travel-as-light-as-possible/) [Chris Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-harrison/) > [“The head's a cloud anchor that the feet must follow. Travel light, he said, or don't travel at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harrison/the-head-s-a-cloud-anchor-that-the-feet-must-follow-travel-light-he/) [Jim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harrison/) > [“If I could live again - I will travel light, If I could live again - I'll try to work bare feet at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/if-i-could-live-again-i-will-travel-light-if-i-could-live-again-i-ll/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [I travel very light. I never want to check a bag. My only standards are a few sets of clothes, my white sneakers, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-tans/i-travel-very-light-i-never-want-to-check-a-bag-my-only-standards-are/) [Gillian Tans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-tans/) > [“THOMAS Can I have your name? RICHARD It's yours. THOMAS Now, look RICHARD It's no earthly Use to me. I travel light; as light,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-fry/thomas-can-i-have-your-name-richard-it-s-yours-thomas-now-look/) [Christopher Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-fry/) > [“Move fast, travel light, an never tell 'em your real name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moira-young/move-fast-travel-light-an-never-tell-em-your-real-name/) [Moira Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moira-young/) ## More by Douglas Adams > [2,000 years ago one man got nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be if everyone was nice to each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/2-000-years-ago-one-man-got-nailed-to-a-tree-for-saying-how-great-it/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [What a wonderfully exciting cough,' said the little man, quite startled by it, 'do you mind if I join you?' And with that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/what-a-wonderfully-exciting-cough-said-the-little-man-quite-startled/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [The technology involved in making anything invisible is so infinitely complex that nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-technology-involved-in-making-anything-invisible-is-so-infinitely/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [One is never alone with a rubber duck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/one-is-never-alone-with-a-rubber-duck/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/this-must-be-thursday-i-never-could-get-the-hang-of-thursdays/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [There are some oddities in the perspective with which we see the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/there-are-some-oddities-in-the-perspective-with-which-we-see-the-world/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Eight hours West sat a man alone on a beach mourning an inexplicable loss. He could only think of his loss in little packets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/eight-hours-west-sat-a-man-alone-on-a-beach-mourning-an-inexplicable/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“The Universe, the whole infinite Universe. The infinite suns, the infinite distances between them, and yourself an invisible dot on an invisible dot, infinitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-universe-the-whole-infinite-universe-the-infinite-suns-the/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [People always make this totally artificial distinction between what is commercial and what is good. They quote that maxim "Nobody ever lost money underestimating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/people-always-make-this-totally-artificial-distinction-between-what/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/any-man-who-can-hitch-the-length-and-breadth-of-the-galaxy-rough-it/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [ Does God know he \[exists\]?" "Of course he does. Otherwise, you could not have asked the question, and I could not have answered. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/does-god-know-he-exists-of-course-he-does-otherwise-you-could-not/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“When we told our guide that we didn't want to go to all the tourist places he took us instead to the places where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/when-we-told-our-guide-that-we-didn-t-want-to-go-to-all-the-tourist/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“But Douglas was a genius, because he saw the world differently, and more importantly, he could communicate the world he saw.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/but-douglas-was-a-genius-because-he-saw-the-world-differently-and/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“The bits which did mean anything were often so wonderfully buried that no one could ever spot them slipping past in the avalanche of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-bits-which-did-mean-anything-were-often-so-wonderfully-buried/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [You come to me for advice, but you can't cope with anything you don't recognize. Hmmm. So we'll have to tell you something you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/you-come-to-me-for-advice-but-you-can-t-cope-with-anything-you-don-t/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) [Explore all 1,168 Douglas Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) ## More Brother quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. It could just as easily have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/whatever-meaning-annie-s-song-had-for-me-on-a-personal-level-there/) [John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/) > [Luckily, the bullet that hit my chest never got to me. It was stopped by a silver case I got for my brother's wedding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-doohan/luckily-the-bullet-that-hit-my-chest-never-got-to-me-it-was-stopped/) [James Doohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-doohan/) > [“Yeah. You treat him like a son or a soldier, instead of like a brother. He wants you to like him and admire him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/yeah-you-treat-him-like-a-son-or-a-soldier-instead-of-like-a-brother/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [“Your relationship with your brother will be, in many ways, the most complex and bewildering of all the interpersonal connections you will form. An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/your-relationship-with-your-brother-will-be-in-many-ways-the-most/) [Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [There's no publicist, no advertisements, and no one's pushing us. If people are buying our records, it's because big brothers and sisters or friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-moody/there-s-no-publicist-no-advertisements-and-no-one-s-pushing-us-if/) [Spencer Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-moody/) > [The only way to make sure that the Hand didn't get to you would have been to kill your brother. I could've done it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/the-only-way-to-make-sure-that-the-hand-didn-t-get-to-you-would-have/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [“Your favorite son and brother, Shade. Like”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-aveyard/your-favorite-son-and-brother-shade-like/) [Victoria Aveyard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-aveyard/) > [Sister + brother = a lovely family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sister-brother-a-lovely-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/brothers-and-sisters-i-bid-you-beware-of-giving-your-heart-to-a-dog/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Stephanie could see the greed seep into the watery eyes of her father’s other brother, a horrible little man called Fergus, as he nodded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/stephanie-could-see-the-greed-seep-into-the-watery-eyes-of-her-father/) [Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [I worked in a barbershop. I used to make the waves in the brother's hair, you know? Like, Nat King Cole, Sugar Ray Robinson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clinton/i-worked-in-a-barbershop-i-used-to-make-the-waves-in-the-brother-s/) [George Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clinton/) [Browse all 7,453 Brother quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Time, we know, is relative. You can travel light years through the stars and back, and if you do it at the speed of light then, when you return, you may have aged mere seconds while your twin brother or sister will have aged twenty, thirty, forty or however many years it is, depending on how far you traveled. This will come to you as a profound shock, particularly if you didn't know you had a twin brother or sister.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Douglas Adams" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/time-we-know-is-relative-you-can-travel-light-years-through-the-stars/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brother" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/time-we-know-is-relative-you-can-travel-light-years-through-the-stars/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a3/douglas-adams-122_brother_time-we-know-is-relative-you-can-travel_577148.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a3/douglas-adams-122_brother_time-we-know-is-relative-you-can-travel_577148.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a3/douglas-adams-122_brother_time-we-know-is-relative-you-can-travel_577148.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Time, we know, is relative. You can travel light years through the stars and back, and if you do it at the…” — Douglas Adams", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Douglas Adams", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Time, we know, is relative. You...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/time-we-know-is-relative-you-can-travel-light-years-through-the-stars/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/time-we-know-is-relative-you-can-travel-light-years-through-the-stars/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```