Question

What are people's opinions about the Theory of Relativity. So if someone were to visit the closest star would they not age at the same speed as those left on earth?

Answer 1

Nope, the person traveling would appear to the people on earth, aging slower than them. If we could observe them we would see their movements slow down(assuming they are traveling a % of the speed of light). According to the Theory of Relativity.

Answer 2

Right.. so by the time the traveler came back to earth, everyone else would be dead and it would seem as if the traveler only aged a few years. Do you believe in this/Theory of Relativity?

Answer 3

The person who is travelling would be sensing his normal time, but other persons on earth will be ageing fast. It's like a day on some heaven is 10 days on Earth.

Answer 4

http://www.physlink.com/education/askexperts/ae611.cfm

Answer 5

Exactly. You guys believe in the theory?

Answer 6

I do.

Answer 7

It's really not a question of 'belief' or at least not a question of 'belief unfounded on evidence'.

All of theory of relativity that leads us to make this prediction about differential aging rates has been been tested literally millions of times in experiments: electrons in your TV monitor and gamma rays passing through the atmosphere, to satellites and jet planes, to tiny corrections needed in the orbit of Mercury to gravitational lensing and observations of black holes. We have an overwhelming body of evidence to support the theory of relativity. Once you understand it, the only rational choice is to give it credence. And the amount of evidence you would require to overthrow it would be quite remarkable.

So yes, I have no doubt that the 'twin paradox' (which is what your original question is actually describing) and its standard resolution is correct.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_paradox