>Well I relate more to your example of the balloon than all that other stuff as I'm not a physicist, however as you describe gravity in such a way, which is a clear contradiction of high school physics (name a force...gravity), then I'll ask you to explain the demonstration of atomic clocks being affected by gravity. The clock in the aeroplane being flown at high altitude being found to be at a different setting to that kept on the ground...
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I was just blabbing - but I have read some interesting books. What I described is a situation that makes sense, but cannot be measured. If every particle is expanding, at a similar rate, then any object would appear the same at a given time.

Regarding atomic clocks - hmmm .. as space expands, so does the wave lenght of of the EM spectra. The atomic clock dialation is not an affect of gravity, but rather, velocity (i think). It's a relativistic isssue! Being close to a large mass will affect time in a similar matter. But I suspect that affect would also be a velocity issue.

>Does this also mean incidentally that the lifespan of the Mars Rovers that is being quoted as 3 months is in fact wrong because time does not move at the same rate on the surface of Mars?
At rest, on Mars, I suspect little if any time dialation. However, as the Rover moved towards Mars, there would be a dialation effect.

An interesting thing about relativistic observations - If you were traveling at near the speed of light, a second would still seem a second long. As it would also to the observer. However, when you came back, the observer would have aged more than you, because your velocity dialated space-time.

If you were a light year tall, and turned on a flash light you had pointed to the floor. it would be instantaneous to you, but to me, I would be watching the beam for a year before it hit the ground!

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>Ho hum, programming is easier, in theory,
Fridays on the UT chat forum!

>Simon