Does Gravity Affect the Passage of Time on Different Planets?

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In summary, if one planet has a higher gravity than another, that would mean that it would progress through time at a slower rate than the other, being 'deeper' in a gravity well. The difference is negligible for most objects and timescales, however.
  • #1
IkeB777
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If one planet has a higher gravity than another, would that mean that it would progress through time at a slower rate than the other, being 'deeper' in a gravity well? That it would 'age' slower, relatively?
 
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  • #2
If the gravitational potential is lower, time runs slower there. The difference is negligible for most objects and timescales, however.
 
  • #3
So, in other words, it's not important. Next?
 
  • #4
You have to consider it if you want to understand GPS satellites properly, but you don't see any effect on the lifetime of animals, for example. On the surface of earth, compared to space, gravity runs slower by something like a millisecond per year.

What do you mean with "next?"?
 
  • #5
I was just being snarky, dude. Sorry. Desperate for a dialogue on these things. Childishly so, but I have considered so many questions so hard in the last two weeks regarding gravity, thermodynamics, light, time, their relations. I'm almost 40, and I've considered these things more in that short time than I, and (well, most) of my friends combined in our lifetimes. My brain is literally burning, because it hurts at the end of the day, and I am someone who never gets headaches.

I really am looking if nothing else to be humored, but would rather be torn down with good science. I'm afraid I won't be able to lie down on my ideas, though. Otherwise why would I be having them?

Again, I apologize to you sir, and in advance for others. I like to be a shrewd diplomat as well, I'm finding late in life.
 
  • #6
are you for real? awesome. Why so much thoughts in the last 2 weeks?
 
  • #7
I'm really happy to assume at this point that the reason I'm having these thoughts is because there are others that are having the same thoughts. It always seems to happen that way when humanity is nearing some kind of breakthrough, there are people all around the world thinking about the same things seemingly 'independently'. A guy named Tielhard de Chardin coined the term 'oosphere' back in the late 18th century to describe the portion of our atmosphere that contained the thought type energy of all the people on the planet. Not too hard to imagine, I suppose the waves caused by our brain energy are short enough they could easily penetrate our skulls, but would they have enough power to propagate?

But yeah, I'm of the firm personal belief that the world is in for something big really soon. And a good big, like nothing we've considered so far.
 
  • #8
brain waves do not propagate information from person to person. At least, there is no reason to suggest this happens. Also, as far as I am aware, there has not been any mechanism put forward to explain how this could happen. Even when people are hooked up to electrodes, the only thing that can be reliably detected with today's technology is stuff related to movements (for example, I imagine lifting my right arm, and the machine can detect that). But it is not within today's technology to be able to read something more complicated (like an idea) from a person's mind. Maybe one day :) I find it is pretty interesting stuff.

I am glad you say that the world is in for some 'big good' soon. There are so many that talk about apocalypse and all the negative things that could happen. Refreshing to see someone on the other side.
 
  • #9
this thread makes my physics forum shirt sad :cry:
 
  • #10
nitsuj said:
this thread makes my physics forum shirt sad :cry:

Well, whatever you do, don't consider the question in the OP.
 
  • #11
BruceW said:
brain waves do not propagate information from person to person. At least, there is no reason to suggest this happens. Also, as far as I am aware, there has not been any mechanism put forward to explain how this could happen. Even when people are hooked up to electrodes, the only thing that can be reliably detected with today's technology is stuff related to movements (for example, I imagine lifting my right arm, and the machine can detect that). But it is not within today's technology to be able to read something more complicated (like an idea) from a person's mind. Maybe one day :) I find it is pretty interesting stuff.

First off, I agree that there is currently no reason to believe, nor evidence to support the idea that brain waves, let alone ideas, propagate between and among the people around us.

However, as to your second point, it would seem that brain waves are, indeed decipherable (link). Probably not by other peoples' brains, and not ideas (as you said, yet) but by specialized and calibrated monitoring systems!
 
  • #12
IkeB777 said:
Well, whatever you do, don't consider the question in the OP.

I have, previously.

The precision of measurements now-a-days is remarkable. precise enough to measure a difference in "aging" with a variance in feet.

For example it's possible to measure the time dilation comparison between my head and my feet.

So yes.

Some parts of Earth have higher mass density than other areas. That too hasa the same effect.

For example, this wiki quote on the "Earth Gravity" entry;

"Local variations in topography (such as the presence of mountains) and geology (such as the density of rocks in the vicinity) cause fluctuations in the Earth's gravitational field, known as gravitational anomalies. Some of these anomalies can be very extensive, resulting in bulges in sea level, and throwing pendulum clocks out of synchronisation."

And I'll add differences in proper time, Fun!
 

1. How does gravity affect the passage of time on different planets?

Gravity plays a significant role in the passage of time on different planets. According to Einstein's theory of relativity, gravity can cause time dilation, which means time moves slower in a strong gravitational field. This means that time passes at a different rate on planets with different levels of gravity.

2. Is there a measurable difference in time on planets with varying levels of gravity?

Yes, there is a measurable difference in time on planets with varying levels of gravity. For example, on Earth, time passes slightly faster compared to Mars due to Earth's stronger gravitational pull. This effect is only noticeable when measuring time over long periods, such as years or centuries.

3. How does time dilation due to gravity impact space exploration?

Time dilation due to gravity can have a significant impact on space exploration. As astronauts travel to different planets with varying levels of gravity, their clocks will tick at different rates, causing them to experience time differently. This effect must be taken into account when planning missions and communicating with astronauts in space.

4. Can time dilation due to gravity be observed on Earth?

Yes, time dilation due to gravity can be observed on Earth. This phenomenon has been confirmed through experiments, such as the Hafele-Keating experiment. This experiment involved flying atomic clocks around the world on commercial airliners, and the clocks showed a measurable difference in time compared to the clocks that stayed on the ground.

5. How does the distance from a planet's center affect time dilation due to gravity?

The distance from a planet's center does not have a significant impact on time dilation due to gravity. The strength of gravity is determined by the mass of the planet, not its size. Therefore, time dilation will be the same at the surface of a planet as it is in orbit around the planet's center.

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