Help! How do I count this?

Aaron_K123
Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
Given that due to the laws of special relativity we know that there is a mass-energy equivalence whereby an objects rest mass will increase upon velocity relative to the speed of light where energy is an objects momentum times the speed of light and therefore the relativistic mass of an object is dependent upon its velocity.

So if I am driving down the highway eating some raw broccoli do I log it as 125 grams of raw broccoli or 125.0000000000000000000000000000001 grams of raw broccoli?

(Dedicated to those who overthink things, focus on minutiae and sometimes need to be reminded of the big picture)

Replies

  • saranne1015
    saranne1015 Posts: 180 Member
    buy a food scale. oh, and a heart rate monitor.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    Fascinating.gif
  • nyiballs
    nyiballs Posts: 147 Member
    It wouldn't matter, because your mass is increased at the same proportion as the broccoli. Given that your resting caloric burn is based on mass, you'll burn the differential.

    The bigger question is if you shoot the broccoli into your mouth while you are standing still....
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    All the answers before me are plain wrong!

    Your toss the broccoli and eat a chocolate bar instead.
  • getnfit87
    getnfit87 Posts: 34 Member
    interesting, so if one expands on the concept of relativistic mass, if one were to take the same broccoli and accelerate at a constant rate getting closer and closer to the speed of light, eating just a portion of the stalk say every day, the broccoli would then last forever as the energy component of the vegetable would increase infinitely?
  • Yagisama
    Yagisama Posts: 595 Member
    Also, thanks to time dilation the broccoli will age slower compared to the time reference of an observer. So you can wait longer before you throw it away and grab the chocolate bar.
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
    Not sure, but if I had to count it... I would probably ask you Aaron, you are always good with numbers and spreadsheets :flowerforyou:

    * anyone reading, that was not a dig at Aaron, he always helps and has a relaxed approach.... but he does have spreadsheets of data :happy:
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    Just RUN down the highway and don't count it at all.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    you'll have an increase in mass of a similar level, and when you stop, you and the broccoli's mass will go back to normal, so you just log it as normal

    however, if you're stationary but the broccoli is travelling at speeds close to light speed, then the mass of the broccoli will be significantly increased. Not sure how that works in its practical application with regards to *how* you manage to eat something that's travelling at close to light speed. In any case it seems my mother was right that it's a bad idea to throw food up into the air and catch it in your mouth.

    That said, the time dilation experienced by the broccoli will slow down the decay rate of the micronutrients in it, so there could be some benefit to attempting to eat broccoli that's travelling at speeds close to light speed while you're stationary after all....
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    While we're on the subject of physics though.......... negative mass matter.

    If you grow plants using only negative mass matter, you will have negative mass plants. If you then eat these, some of the proteins that go on to become part of new cells that your body's building will be made of negative mass matter. This will decrease your mass. If you take this to extremes, you can even end up with a mass of zero, or even a mass in negative numbers. Not sure how you'll manage to stay stuck to the earth if that happens though..... (the negative mass plants it's kind of easy, just grow them in an upside-down greenhouse).
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
    While we're on the subject of physics though.......... negative mass matter.

    If you grow plants using only negative mass matter, you will have negative mass plants. If you then eat these, some of the proteins that go on to become part of new cells that your body's building will be made of negative mass matter. This will decrease your mass. If you take this to extremes, you can even end up with a mass of zero, or even a mass in negative numbers. Not sure how you'll manage to stay stuck to the earth if that happens though..... (the negative mass plants it's kind of easy, just grow them in an upside-down greenhouse).

    According to this...

    "Negative mass would possess some strange properties, such as accelerating in the direction opposite of applied force."

    It seems you would have to throw the negative mass broccoli away from you to eat it, sick thought if it stayed negative mass and didn't just cancel out with the positive mass of your body.....rest room time could get painful and tricky, but if the negative mass canceled out with the positive mass, you could eat, deplete mass and never need to go again.

    Hypothetically, isn't negative mass sorta anti-matter, therefore the prevailing theory is if the negative mass touched the positive mass, it could recreate an event comparable to the big bang.

    Now my brain hurts, too late here for this much thought :drinker:
  • Americans, way too much time dudes!!!
  • AdventureFreak
    AdventureFreak Posts: 236 Member
    It wouldn't matter, because your mass is increased at the same proportion as the broccoli. Given that your resting caloric burn is based on mass, you'll burn the differential.

    The bigger question is if you shoot the broccoli into your mouth while you are standing still....

    well played!
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    While we're on the subject of physics though.......... negative mass matter.

    If you grow plants using only negative mass matter, you will have negative mass plants. If you then eat these, some of the proteins that go on to become part of new cells that your body's building will be made of negative mass matter. This will decrease your mass. If you take this to extremes, you can even end up with a mass of zero, or even a mass in negative numbers. Not sure how you'll manage to stay stuck to the earth if that happens though..... (the negative mass plants it's kind of easy, just grow them in an upside-down greenhouse).

    According to this...

    "Negative mass would possess some strange properties, such as accelerating in the direction opposite of applied force."

    It seems you would have to throw the negative mass broccoli away from you to eat it, sick thought if it stayed negative mass and didn't just cancel out with the positive mass of your body.....rest room time could get painful and tricky, but if the negative mass canceled out with the positive mass, you could eat, deplete mass and never need to go again.

    Hypothetically, isn't negative mass sorta anti-matter, therefore the prevailing theory is if the negative mass touched the positive mass, it could recreate an event comparable to the big bang.

    Now my brain hurts, too late here for this much thought :drinker:

    woah... freaky...

    I don't think negative mass matter has to be antimatter though... because antimatter is about charge, i.e. positive electrons and negative protons, while mass is an entirely different property. I'd always assumed you could get positive mass antimatter and negative mass antimatter as well.
  • PinkCupcakes84
    PinkCupcakes84 Posts: 235 Member
    Americans, way too much time dudes!!!

    What a broad stereotype. Wait, you're right....never mind carry on...
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Americans, way too much time dudes!!!

    I'm not American.

    Physics jokes are *never* a waste of time.
  • dotcomee
    dotcomee Posts: 36 Member
    Unless physics can help me eat french fries with every meal and still lose weight, I fail to see how it's not a waste of time.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Unless physics can help me eat french fries with every meal and still lose weight, I fail to see how it's not a waste of time.

    Physics is what allowed us the ability to leave the earth which will get you into space which will make you lose weight. I don't know of any physical law that would prevent you from eating french fries while doing so.
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
    Hypothetically, isn't negative mass sorta anti-matter, therefore the prevailing theory is if the negative mass touched the positive mass, it could recreate an event comparable to the big bang.

    woah... freaky...

    I don't think negative mass matter has to be antimatter though... because antimatter is about charge, i.e. positive electrons and negative protons, while mass is an entirely different property. I'd always assumed you could get positive mass antimatter and negative mass antimatter as well.

    I actually went and read up on this some, it seems the most common theory is antimatter, yes is charge and cause a big bang type deal, but negative mass touching positive mass would cause complete annihilation by mathmatically canceling the other out kind of -1+1=0 or 1+(-1)=0. So from the reading I did it seems they both wipe out a ton but just one goes bang when it does it. The other major difference of course is that antimatter is an observable substance, not sure how but the people with PhD's say so, where negative matter, is based on the theory that is it exists in math it exists in nature and since you can run physics problems with negative numbers and get answers that must mean negative matter exists.

    Plus knowledge is always useful, and not a waste of time....
  • eslcity
    eslcity Posts: 323 Member
    Unless physics can help me eat french fries with every meal and still lose weight, I fail to see how it's not a waste of time.

    tooo funny
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Unless physics can help me eat french fries with every meal and still lose weight, I fail to see how it's not a waste of time.

    actually it can. calories in v calories out is from the laws of thermodynamics, which is physics... and with careful meal planning and just the right amount of exercise to burn off any excess calories, you can eat french fries with every meal and still lose weight. because physics


    although I like the fly to the moon while eating french fries and lose weight that way much better :drinker: (unfortunately that way doesn't involve loss of *mass* which is what people tend to really mean when they say they want to lose weight)
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Hypothetically, isn't negative mass sorta anti-matter, therefore the prevailing theory is if the negative mass touched the positive mass, it could recreate an event comparable to the big bang.

    woah... freaky...

    I don't think negative mass matter has to be antimatter though... because antimatter is about charge, i.e. positive electrons and negative protons, while mass is an entirely different property. I'd always assumed you could get positive mass antimatter and negative mass antimatter as well.

    I actually went and read up on this some, it seems the most common theory is antimatter, yes is charge and cause a big bang type deal, but negative mass touching positive mass would cause complete annihilation by mathmatically canceling the other out kind of -1+1=0 or 1+(-1)=0. So from the reading I did it seems they both wipe out a ton but just one goes bang when it does it. The other major difference of course is that antimatter is an observable substance, not sure how but the people with PhD's say so, where negative matter, is based on the theory that is it exists in math it exists in nature and since you can run physics problems with negative numbers and get answers that must mean negative matter exists.

    Plus knowledge is always useful, and not a waste of time....

    If it exists, it and positive mass repel each other, so they'd exist on opposite sides of the universe (and if the universe is infinite* and has no centre, it also has no opposite side, so where exactly this negative mass matter would end up is an interesting question in itself) and we'd never be able to find it, because as soon as we come close to it our own matter would repel it.

    *I know there's still debate about whether this is true or not...

    But I'm just speculating from someone else's speculation, I'm a biology person who dabbles in physics for fun so take the above in that context, i.e. I don't really know very much about negative mass matter.... I just find it to be an extremely interesting concept. I'm intrigued enough to do some further research though!
  • Shropshire1959
    Shropshire1959 Posts: 982 Member
    Broccoli can never be created nor destroyed, it can only be changed from one vegetative state to another.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Broccoli can never be created nor destroyed, it can only be changed from one vegetative state to another.

    my body converted broccoli into human flesh.... well some of it, anyway... a lot of it got converted into carbon dioxide and breathed out. Are you saying that this flesh and those carbon dioxide molecules and also the water molecules which could have ended up in my cells or in the toilet have all retained their true broccoli nature?


    Just think, broccoli haters.... you could be breathing in carbon dioxide molecules that used to be broccoli.
  • Yagisama
    Yagisama Posts: 595 Member
    Broccoli can never be created nor destroyed, it can only be changed from one vegetative state to another.

    my body converted broccoli into human flesh.... well some of it, anyway... a lot of it got converted into carbon dioxide and breathed out. Are you saying that this flesh and those carbon dioxide molecules and also the water molecules which could have ended up in my cells or in the toilet have all retained their true broccoli nature?


    Just think, broccoli haters.... you could be breathing in carbon dioxide molecules that used to be broccoli.

    Keyword being could be. I take solace into thinking that the carbon dioxide molecules that I'm breathing could be from feces instead. :wink:
  • Shropshire1959
    Shropshire1959 Posts: 982 Member
    Broccoli is one of these truly negative calorie foods (Broccoli and Sprouts oh and Mushrooms, never forget mushrroms) ... I eat them and throw up ... the complete contents of my last meal - so more calories than the green slim by it's self....

    N.B this is not a valid (or recommended) weight loss regime :-p
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
    Hypothetically, isn't negative mass sorta anti-matter, therefore the prevailing theory is if the negative mass touched the positive mass, it could recreate an event comparable to the big bang.

    woah... freaky...

    I don't think negative mass matter has to be antimatter though... because antimatter is about charge, i.e. positive electrons and negative protons, while mass is an entirely different property. I'd always assumed you could get positive mass antimatter and negative mass antimatter as well.

    I actually went and read up on this some, it seems the most common theory is antimatter, yes is charge and cause a big bang type deal, but negative mass touching positive mass would cause complete annihilation by mathmatically canceling the other out kind of -1+1=0 or 1+(-1)=0. So from the reading I did it seems they both wipe out a ton but just one goes bang when it does it. The other major difference of course is that antimatter is an observable substance, not sure how but the people with PhD's say so, where negative matter, is based on the theory that is it exists in math it exists in nature and since you can run physics problems with negative numbers and get answers that must mean negative matter exists.

    Plus knowledge is always useful, and not a waste of time....

    If it exists, it and positive mass repel each other, so they'd exist on opposite sides of the universe (and if the universe is infinite* and has no centre, it also has no opposite side, so where exactly this negative mass matter would end up is an interesting question in itself) and we'd never be able to find it, because as soon as we come close to it our own matter would repel it.

    *I know there's still debate about whether this is true or not...

    But I'm just speculating from someone else's speculation, I'm a biology person who dabbles in physics for fun so take the above in that context, i.e. I don't really know very much about negative mass matter.... I just find it to be an extremely interesting concept. I'm intrigued enough to do some further research though!

    Your comment made me think of the one physics question that always makes my head hurt.

    If the universe is endless and has no center, but according to most physicists is always expanding at a constant rate....what is it expanding into?

    No clue why but this one always messes with me, I have been told that I can't comprehend it because humans have no perception of infinity even if they understand the meaning but seriously if it is expanding then it must have a limit to be expanded and must be within something to expand in.

    Ouch now my head hurts :grumble:
  • Yagisama
    Yagisama Posts: 595 Member
    The universe expands into nothingness, which is of course not the same thing as expanding into empty space. Since empty space is something. :drinker: