If the person doesn't age at all relative to the people on Earth, (the whole Universe even), then would the Universe age infinately relative to the travelling person, in other words, get to the end of its cycle (if there is one)?
2007-10-19 22:26:29 · 6 answers · asked by vEngful.Gibb0n 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It cant happen.
To remain travelling you need an energy source. If theres energy, the universe is not at an end.
If you exist, the universe is not at its end.
2007-10-19 22:34:01 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
First, travel at the speed of light is not possible. An object with mass travelling at the speed of light would require infinite energy and have infinite mass. This is why only light can travel that fast - it has no mass.
If you were to rephrase your question to read ' near the speed of light ' then you would pose a proper theoretical question. Time dilation becomes noticeable at around 10% the speed of light.
Regardless, the answer to the question would still be no. Time would not dilate enough.
You are correct with your use of the word relative. The person onboard the travelling ship would still age and his/her time would still appear to go by normally. Therefore, if this person travelled say 100 years aboard his/her craft, time on Earth would only advance perhaps 1000 years depending upon how close to the speed of light the ship was travelling.
The person aboard the ship would in no possible way watch the Universe age infinitely. Not even close.
2007-10-20 08:16:37 · answer #2 · answered by oscillator 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Speaking theoretically as you are, the answer is yes. These other answers are allowing technicalities to get in the way.
Traveling at the speed of light or existing at the surface of a black hole, one would experience the greatest amount of time dilation. This is accepted fact throughout the scientific community.
The problems that such a scenario would introduce are what these other answers are addressing.
The most vexing factor is that technically all time would pass for our intrepid astronaut in his smallest possible amount of time. We have no way of defining what the astronaut would experience in his next moment as all time would have passed.
The other complication is defining what "all time" is. Did time have a beginning? According to popular theory, time did have a beginning which occurred at the Big Bang. And yet this brings up the question, "What was before there was no time?"
So much discussion is actually centered around simply defining the various elements of our questions. By side-stepping the establishment of definitions, a lot of time and effort and words are wasted with pure arguments that lead nowhere.
As an example, one might ask, "Is there life on other planets throughout the universe?" One would have to have a definition of 'life' upon which the two people discussing the question would agree. Otherwise, one might assume that 'life' included intelligence while the other might assume that 'life' means something that grows and reproduces.
In pure theory, the answer to your question is Yes.
2007-10-20 13:05:44 · answer #3 · answered by Ultraviolet Oasis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The problem is,no matter what,an object with mass can never be accelerated to the speed of light.To do so would require an infinite amount of energy,a physical impossibility.So,yes,that is pretty much what would happen if you COULD travel at light speed.The best we could ever do is approach the speed of light,and currently we don't even come close.Say we COULD reach 99% of the light.While the traveler would age extremely slowly,and witness millions or billions of years pass by,he would age,and eventually die.So your scenario at light speed is impossible,at near light speeds,he would stop traveling in a much aged universe.
2007-10-20 07:46:14 · answer #4 · answered by nobodinoze 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If a person could travel at the speed of light they would still age. It would be extremely slow to us but normal for the person traveling at the speed of light and anyone traveling with him.
2007-10-20 05:46:58 · answer #5 · answered by tcar101420 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes. In fact, if you could travel at the speed of light, all of space-time would appear as a single point.
Doug
2007-10-20 06:17:35 · answer #6 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋