Does the aging process slow down in space?

Question

If so, is this solely relating to gravity or are there other factors?

Also, any other related info would be much appreciated!

Answer 1

As you get closer to the speed of light time withen the ship will slow down. So if you could travel that fast you technically would not age as fast due to to Einstein's Theory of Relativity. You could have a twin and leave him on Earth. You leave in a space ship and travel near the speed of light. You return in years later. You meet up with you twin, while you have not aged your twin is now older than you because time was moving slower in the ship where you were, and time was flowing normally on Earth.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

No. You may be thinking of time dilation as described in the theory of relativity. That theory says the faster you move the slower time passes for you. This is often talked about with a space ship traveling at high speed, but it has nothing to do with being in space, only with moving very fast. And you don't age slower, time actually passes slower. You would not feel like you lived any longer because it is time and not your aging that changes. You still live 80 years (or whatever), but that 80 years is seen as being longer than 80 years by a person not moving as fast.

Answer 4

From what i've read, many of the symptoms of aging such as wrinkles would be less pronounced due to the lack of gravity. However, it is a double-edged sword because the lack of gravity also means less muscular effort to accomplish things, and your muscles will atrophy and your bones / joints will harden.

Most of the "aging process" that is concrete--i.e. relavant to life span--rather than simply cosmetic is concerned with free radicals and cell mutation, and there have been no long-enough-term studies to determine if these are accelerated or not in space. There is anecdotal evidence that they are, however--in space you ARE being exposed to more radiation than on the surface of the earth.

Answer 5

It would be plausible that gravity would have an effect on aging. There are a lot of gravity disordered bodies out there.

However, according to Einstein, aging (or the passage of time) is relative to the speed of light (c.). If you were to increase your speed through the universe, as you approached c., time would pass much more slowly for you - relative to the earth (time would slow down for you compared to the earth). Therefore, as you approached c. one year for you may equal millions of years on earth.

If you attained c., then, theoretically, time would cease to exist for you, but then you would be infinitely massive. So, if you think you have a weight problem now . . . approach c.!

Answer 6

No, you only way the aging process is slowed down is when your going fast. You would have to be close to light speed to notice the changes. But you would have to compare yourself to something, say your twin. Look up the twins paradox.

Answer 7

Seems unlikely, since you body is not acclimated to outer space. On the other hand, wasn't there a character in "Contact" who lived on a space station to slow down a terminal disease?

Answer 8

it's not space that slows down aging. it's the speed at which you travel. according to einstein's e=mc*c, where c is the speed of light, time would actually stand still if you could travel at 186,000 miles per second. theorectically, if you could some how exceed the speed of light, you would actually go backward in time.

Answer 9

No but i think it may be the opposite. One side effect of space travel is weakened bones if you go too many itmes i've heard.

Answer 10

i think it would speed up in space due the the increased UV input from the sun