🚀 go-pugleaf

Julio Chou wrote:
> 
> Wait a minute!!! If the atoms becomes more MASSIVE does that mean there
> are more quarks? Or is it the quarks becoming more massive so that the
> atoms become more massive? As a side note you can live longer if you
> live in the mountains then if you live at the sea level. Since you move
> faster. But by only a second or so......big deal.

In relativistic terms, momentum is equivalent to mass, so in _effect_
the quarks themselves become more massive.  But it isn't the kind of
mass you can put on a scale and weigh, nor will planets suddenly start
pulled towards you by your gravity.  The effort it will take to increase
your speed, as seen by a stationary observer, will increase, thus your
apparent inertia increases, thus your apparent mass increases.  But you
yourself will notice no difference whatsoever, because to you, you are
still stationary.

As to living in the mountains increasing your lifespan, I don't think
that's true.  In reality, it isn't how much faster you move as how much
acceleration you are subject to.  Someone living on the moon, for
example, might live a second longer than someone living on the Earth due
to time dilation, but this would only be apparent to the person living
on the Earth.  To the "Moonie", the Earth person would seem to have a
shorter life.  On the other hand, everybody is subject to the same
"acceleration" on the Earth, regardless of where they are.  If you live
on a mountain, you may appear to weigh less, but you're still being
carted along with the Earth just like everybody else.  Besides, it's far
more likely that the clean mountain air will increase your lifespan than
anything having to do with relativity.  :)  Also, don't get the idea
that you can live longer by subjecting yourself to constant acceleration
- you will only seem to live longer to other people, not yourself.  In
fact, the higher acceleration will likely put more stress on your body,
thus reducing your lifespan.  :)

-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
| John M. Aldrich, aka Fighteer I  |        figh...@cs.com         |
| Plan:  To find ANYONE willing to |   http://www.cs.com/fighteer   |
| play Descent 2 on DWANGO!        | Tagline: <this space for rent> |
---------------------------------------------------------------------