Sometimes I try to catalogue all the things in the world to decide if I fall over or under the average age of stuff. For instance, all products of anything that was invented in my lifetime are going to be younger than I am. That means that I am automatically older than every single VCR, DVD, DVD player, microwave, and MP3 in the universe. Then, of course, there's all the stuff that has been around for awhile but whose individual lifespan is less than mine, so it's likely that I am older than most light bulbs, SUVs, hamsters, etc.
It comes down, of course, to whether you count the recycling of materials into something new as the date of origin, since all matter is constant, and whether you count things in terms of numbers of items or absolute mass. So in terms of absolute mass, I am probably toward the young side of things, considering the earth's molten core; but if you count all that as one object, and factor in the trillions of insects that have lived and died since I was born, then I'm probably on the aged end.
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3 comments:
The first microwave came out in the late 40s, so you're not technically older than all microwaves. Just the ones that were practical enough to sell well.
-- SJ
(The Joneses tag-team to pick on Rose)
Actually, I don't think the amount of matter in the universe is constant. If I remember correctly, the amount of matter + energy is constant, but matter can be changed into energy (e.g., Hiroshima).
--DJ
Okay, then, I'm younger than a whole lot of energy particles to boot. And I'll grant you those first few microwaves, Sara. I bet the insects alone could tip the scales.
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