Time for a sum-up

[cultureofdoubt]

So, I'm a bit surprised the plane brought out all that discussion when the freaky backwards-in-time antics of photons didn't (although that's perhaps a bit more heavy going to decipher unless you're familiar with Young's slits).

Comments

[azureskies]

Depending on the version of the question you read the conveyor belt moves back at either the speed the plane moves forwards, or such that the plane remains motionless.

I genuinely don't understand the difference here. If the conveyor belt is moving at the speed that the plane WOULD BE moving at on fixed ground, then surely the two relative speeds cancel each other out and the plane is motionless?

[beingjdc]

And how would you suggest the belt do that, without moving relative to the ground?

[cultureofdoubt]

I wouldn't. As I said, I think the problem is slightly ill-posed.

[cultureofdoubt]

OK, it may be better to tie it to the wheel speed rather than the plane speed. This has the effect of avoiding one problem, at the expense of making the belt go completely bonkers when faced with a plane that actually decides to move.