It is widely accepted that information cannot be transmitted faster than light speed. Can anyone explain this paradox: If I had a REALLY long broom handle, I could prod someone who was sitting on Mars, and still have time to wander to my telescope in time to see them being prodded? By implication, if I had a number of rigid rods that I could push and pull, could I not effectively transmit information over limitless distances instantaneously?
2006-07-05 08:40:07 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
I'm not too sure about this but it may be something to do with elasticity. All straightforward (ie a stick) materials have elasticity. If you apply a compression to a material it will shorten slightly. The measure of this elasticity is called its modulus.
Marshmallows have a pretty low modulus and diamond will have a pretty high modulus. But you cant have an infinite modulus although dilithium crystal...?
At an atomic level you could imagine that the atoms of your stick are strung out with distance between them and that when a compression is applied the atoms will want to come closer but atomic forces will repel the atoms. I suppose that the modulus of a material then is related to the strength of the inter-atomic forces of the material diamond pretty solid, and marshmallow..., does anyone know the molecular structure of marshmallow?
Okay your pushing the stick, but your over very large distances (certainly those that the speed of light is a factor in seeing the end), the inertia of all those atoms along the length of the stick will in effect give rise to a compression wave the effect of which will build up over the length of the stick as you push, even though there nothing pressing against the end of the stick.
Now this compression wave is a sort of signal that will tell the atom at the other end of the stick to move but the wave will take time to travel up the stick.
In fact since were talking about compression waves I suppose that these will be in the order machs as opposed to parsecs.
One interesting analogy would be a domino tumble where each of the 2.5 million dominoes that some North Korean bloke had spent three months assembling into 200 ft diameter portrait of Kim Chong Il in an aircraft hanger in Pyongyang, fall at exactly the same instant. That's what you essentially saying.
2006-07-05 10:09:07 · answer #1 · answered by galenvanbrok 2 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Only massless particles can travel at the speed of light and they can travel at no other speed.
The particles making up your broom will transmit the shock wave from your shake at no faster than the speed of sound in wood which will be vastly slower than the speed of light.
I also have to mention that some people here have some very strange ideas so just to prevent you being led astray.
1)Neuro-transmitters work by diffusion, you could probably run faster than they transmit information.
2)The interplanetary, interstellar and intergalactic speed of light are exactly the same. If it varied then there would be some wierd optical effects when looking out at the stars.
2006-07-06 09:26:56 · answer #2 · answered by m.paley 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
INFORMATION is not a physical thing, it's an idea. Fiber optic cables are hair-thin strands of glass that DO send information at the speed of light via binary code, or computer language. Binary code uses 1's and 0's to put information in code. The strand will flash "bright" for 1's and "dim" for 0's, or vise-versa. If you live in a well populated area, fiber optic cable is probably already the norm, cause I live in a podunk town and we are getting fiber-optic run from a town even more podunk than ours.
2006-07-05 08:47:58 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe there is such a thing as "instantaneous" transmit ion. of energy or movement. Its a word created by humans to explain "really fast events" so yes by theory you could watch it through your scope if you "instantaneously" got to it after the initial prod
2006-07-05 08:53:01 · answer #4 · answered by BadSanta 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ah, but the transmission of that movement is essentially the movement of atoms that are electo-magnetically bonded. The transmission of that movement would build a delay that is slower than the speed of light, unfortunately.
It would develop into a wave along the rod, similar to a ripple in water or sound waves in air.
2006-07-05 08:59:41 · answer #5 · answered by bablunt 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A.Einstein and his Special Relativity told us:
1.) No massive object can reach the speed of light - Only light travels with speed of light.
2.) But if you find a way to 'tunnel' with a massive object through this barriere than you will be a Tachyon.
2006-07-06 07:44:28 · answer #6 · answered by quantenmaschine 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put the spliff down and step away from the computer....you're brains finally melted.
And if you prod me again with that broom handle I'll come down there and prod you back.
2006-07-05 08:44:50 · answer #7 · answered by blissman 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A broom handle is not light!!! And anyway,a broom handle long enough to reach Mars
(if it was at all feasible) would be much too heavy for you to move anyway
2006-07-05 09:35:11 · answer #8 · answered by Mick H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Neuro-transmitters in the human-brain send and receive signals much faster than the speed of light. But why does any of this worry you? You should try getting out more you know.......
2006-07-05 13:21:00 · answer #9 · answered by emjay1212001 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are thoughts now that there are several speeds of light....
interplanetary....interstellar and intergalactic.....the intergalactic being several thousand times that of interplanetary and why not ...scientists hate having to say...."we don't know" so they postulate on the basis of current knowledge ...but who says that is correct...let's face it, anyones theory could be the correct one, we are all still so backward
2006-07-06 04:37:35 · answer #10 · answered by Miss Prim 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋