Applications of realitivty once we can travel at near c

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around potential applications of relativity in the context of near-light-speed travel, particularly focusing on the implications for time dilation and its effects on aging, health, and food preservation. Participants explore theoretical scenarios and the feasibility of such travel, touching on both personal and broader implications.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that near-light-speed travel could allow individuals with incurable diseases to experience significant time dilation, effectively allowing them to return to a future where cures may exist.
  • Others suggest that the concept of aging wine and cheese could be redefined through time dilation, although this is contested due to the impracticality of accelerating the Earth relative to the items.
  • There is a discussion about the limitations of human tolerance to acceleration, with some participants noting that even achieving speeds close to 0.9999999c would require careful consideration of g-forces to avoid harming the crew.
  • Questions are raised about the potential for human cryonics to enhance the ability to withstand acceleration during relativistic travel, although there is uncertainty about the viability of cryogenic methods and their effects on human physiology.
  • Participants express skepticism about the feasibility of achieving the proposed time dilation effects within reasonable timeframes and g-forces that humans can endure.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express a mix of agreement and disagreement regarding the feasibility and implications of near-light-speed travel. While some ideas are explored, there is no consensus on the practicality of the scenarios discussed.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include uncertainties about human physiological responses to acceleration, the viability of cryonics, and the assumptions underlying the proposed scenarios of time dilation and relativistic travel.

dshea
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One application I can think of is that if I had an incurable disease I could go on a one week ride in a spaceship, on return 50 years have passed on earth. Of course if there wasn't a cure I could just go on another trip.
 
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We can bring a whole new meaning to aged cheese and wine.
 
Pupil said:
We can bring a whole new meaning to aged cheese and wine.

Unfortunately not. To do that we'd have to accelerate the EARTH relative to the wine/cheese. Which is probably not going to happen (unless they plan a continent sized retroburner in the middle of the pacific ocean)
 
dshea said:
One application I can think of is that if I had an incurable disease I could go on a one week ride in a spaceship, on return 50 years have passed on earth. Of course if there wasn't a cure I could just go on another trip.
Quite possible, though not a week. Even if we had a starship that could go 0.9999999c you'd still need to accelerate to that speed at an acceleration that wouldn't kill the crew. Unfortunately us flesh bags can only stand around a couple g's for extended periods of time so it'd take quite a while to get up to speed.
 
maverick_starstrider said:
Quite possible, though not a week. Even if we had a starship that could go 0.9999999c you'd still need to accelerate to that speed at an acceleration that wouldn't kill the crew. Unfortunately us flesh bags can only stand around a couple g's for extended periods of time so it'd take quite a while to get up to speed.

How much more acceleration could a frozen human body withstand? I know cryogenic freezing AND relativistic travel are a little much to ask for but it's a thought.

EDIT: I guess the term I'm looking for is human cryonics.
 
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Ok maybe a week:50 year ratio is ureasonable considering the the g's and the human body. What IS a more reasonable timeframe/withstandableg's. And to get back on topic, you could leave the wine and cheese on Earth and go on a trip come back and it be well aged.
 
Razzor7 said:
How much more acceleration could a frozen human body withstand? I know cryogenic freezing AND relativistic travel are a little much to ask for but it's a thought.

EDIT: I guess the term I'm looking for is human cryonics.

I can't say I know. Human physiology isn't really my think although I feel like either the americans or soviets probably did some experiments at some point. Of course that assumes cryo ever works which, from my understanding, the ice crystal problem could be quite... well problematic.
 

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