Would you theroretically age more slowly if

[xanubia]

I read somewhere about some theory about traveling faster than light. It said that these astronauts would age slower relative to everyone back on Earth. Does anyone know anything about this? Is there any scientific foundation?

[Ozmeister]

Well, according to Special Relativity (SR), as you approach the speed of light, the clocks onboard your ship begin to mark time more slowly than those that are at rest (say back at home). Accordingly, your biological process are also supposed to slow down in a similar manner. But, to your perspective, everything is fine with your clocks etc, but the clocks and such back home begin to speed up due to the relativistic effects of the speed you're travelling at compared to them.

These effects have been confirmed in particle accelerators, for subatomic particles accelerated at close to lightspeed. However as far as FTL motion goes, there's no confirmation of anythng happening because they aren't able to push particles to those speeds. Though if SR is to be believed, the time reversed equivalents of the normal relativistic equations occur. So in this case, you'd be "travelling" back in time if you moved FTL (faster than light). This is unproven, and the jury is still out.

[The Gryphon]

Exactly, if you plan a faster than light day trip don't expect the food in your refridgerator to be edible when you get back tomorrow.

[TheBloom]

also....if oxygen wasnt present wouldnt we age more slowly as its oxygen that kills us (amongst other things)?? But then it would kill us if it wasnt present anyway!

[bigdog112]

Well from what iv herd the faster you move the slower every one els is. I remmber watching a show on discovery channle about how birds and fly's can eavade are cars and swating hands cus thay see us moving slower then them.