Can everything in the universe eventually be the same age?

[whowhatwhy]

If my mother was 31 when I was a 1 year old our age ratio would have been 30:1

If today I am 30 and my mother is 60 our age ratio is 2:1
When I am 100 and she is 130 (God Forbid this is only theoretical!) 1.3:1

So the ratio between our ages are ever diminishing the older we become....coming closer together.

At what age would we become the same age? Can everything in the universe eventually become the same age? Or does 'infinity' get in the way?

[mibn2cweus]

If you could put mother on a light speed journey for 31 years she would come back younger than you.

[Space]

42

[whowhatwhy]

mibn2cweus: I guess that depends on my position relative to her...but no, I guess that she would just have appeared to have aged alot quicker than normal according to my view point. I was just thinking that if everything was created at the same time (re the big bang) then everything is the same age anyhow. Then I thought about the ratio of ages and how they get closer the older something becomes relative to another..and hey presto...one confused question resulted.

[mibn2cweus]

If she were traveling at light velocity she would not age. If she maintained this velocity for 30 years (your time) this would allow you to catch up to her.

Some of the elements that make up you, your mother and all of the rest of us did not exist until millions of years later where they were cooked up in stars. We are children of the stars, mom too!

[Clanad]

A logical fallacy at work here... although you can manipulate the ratios by increasing the size of the sampling numbers, the only fact in play is that your mother will always be 30 years older than you... meaning the difference in ages haven't changed, only the ratio. However, having said that, everything in the universe is the same relative age. We state that we can see light emitted from distant galaxies of nearly 10 Gyr (gigabillion or one billion years) (the actuall age is around 14.5 Gyr), implying that that distant object is 10 Gyr older than our own... but if a being in that distant galaxy viewed our own, they would state the obvious fact that we are 10 Gyr distant as well. It's just a matter of relevance. That's doesn't imply that every galaxy or star is the same age, since stars and galaxies are continually being formed and destroyed (by various means). However, that which we do now see was created from previous material...

[Azimov]

The answer is an unequivocal "NO".

Time is a measurement.
If we are able to make it accurate enough we will always be able to make the distinction between one event and another, just as long as we have enough divisions.

If we are unable to take the measurement because we haven't the tools or the ability, that doesn't mean the division doesn't exist.

Therefore, your age will always be 30 years (or so) less than your mothers, even if the ratio is immeasurably small.

[El D]

This is the same as Zeno's paradox: to summarise, if we are always halfway to where we are going, how can we ever get there? There are mathematical theories, philosophical theories, but no definitive yes/no answer.

[whowhatwhy]

thank you all for putting me straight...I had neglected to even think that I would always be 30 years older whatever the ratio! It's amazing how sometimes I miss the wood for the trees :o)
I'll have read up on Zeno's paradox. Clanad, Azimov et al, thanks for you input.

[ugly_bob]

Mathematically speaking,

x+1

------ ->1 as x-> infinity

x

which would suggest that you are right

Just goes to prove you shouldn't trust maths really

[CT]

Eventually in a million/billion years or whatever the difference in age would seem minimal. Your mother would still always be older though.
Can you imagine living that long though, with your mother telling you to tidy your room or do the dishes and stuff. Nightmare.

[mibn2cweus]

CT, Since leaving my childhood home I have found another lovely lady who does these things for me; (telling me to tidy my room or do the dishes, that is). Feeling like you married your mother; Now that's a nightmare!

[whowhatwhy]

LOL! The balance of power... happens to the best of us, sooner or later!