Does Gravity Affect How Long You Live?

In summary, gravity can affect the passage of time, leading to differences in aging for individuals in different locations. However, defining exactly what is meant by "lives longer" can be challenging without considering events happening at the same time.
  • #1
pingulii
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Here is another question
As far as I know, gravity slows time...So it would be true that a person who lives in for example the moon would live less than a person who lives on earth?
Or a person who lives on 25th floor lives longer than a person who lives in basement? Of course the difference would be very very very small.
 
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  • #2
pingulii said:
Here is another question
As far as I know, gravity slows time...So it would be true that a person who lives in for example the moon would live less than a person who lives on earth?
Or a person who lives on 25th floor lives longer than a person who lives in basement? Of course the difference would be very very very small.

Before I answer your question, I have a challenge for you: Define exactly what you mean by "lives longer", and do so without directly or indirectly talking about events happening at the same time (unless they also happen in the same place, in which case you can consider them a single event). Until you can do this, relativity will continue to confuse you.

And to answer the question you're asking: If two identical twins are born on the 25th floor, and one of them goes to live with the family in the basement while the other stays with her natural family on the 25th floor... The next time they meet, the basement-dweller will have aged slightly less than the 25th-floor twin. This is just another version of the twin paradox, and the explanation is the same: The basement-dweller and the 25th-floor twin have taken different paths through space-time. The Earth's gravity has curved spacetime (this is what gravitational time dilation is about) in such a way that the 25th-floor twin's path is longer in time.

The same considerations apply for the earth/moon case, but if we don't start with twins born in one event at the same time and place and meeting later in another single event, it's much harder to define exactly what is meant by "lives longer" or "less aged" - and that's the point of the challenge above.
 
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1. What is gravitational time dilation?

Gravitational time dilation is a phenomenon where time appears to pass slower in regions with stronger gravitational fields. This means that clocks located closer to massive objects, such as planets or black holes, will run slower than those located further away.

2. How does gravitational time dilation occur?

According to Einstein's theory of general relativity, gravity is not a force but rather a result of the curvature of spacetime caused by massive objects. This curvature causes time to pass at different rates in different regions, leading to gravitational time dilation.

3. Can we observe gravitational time dilation?

Yes, gravitational time dilation has been observed through various experiments and observations. For example, atomic clocks on Earth have been found to run slower than those on GPS satellites due to the difference in gravitational fields. Gravitational time dilation has also been observed in the bending of light around massive objects.

4. How does gravitational time dilation affect space travel?

Gravitational time dilation has significant implications for space travel. As an object travels closer to a massive object, time will appear to pass slower for the object compared to a stationary observer. This means that astronauts traveling near massive objects will experience time at a slower rate, leading to differences in aging and time perception.

5. Is gravitational time dilation the same as time travel?

No, gravitational time dilation does not allow for time travel in the traditional sense. While time appears to pass slower in regions with stronger gravitational fields, one cannot travel back in time or change the course of events. Gravitational time dilation simply means that time is perceived differently in different regions of space.

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