2006-08-15 22:32:00 · 13 answers · asked by shardf 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
I certainly do so because when scientists say nothing travels as fast as light, that is merely because in fact nothing HAS BEEN OBSERVED YET to do so. Physics relies on observation and experiments so if by no means anything has not been observed yet, physics rules that OUT or keeps devising experiments in order to destroy the theory (if they really want to!).
2006-08-15 23:52:35 · answer #1 · answered by Makaveli007 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Special relativity tells why. But the limits are much more severe than that: the only way now known to accelerate a spacecraft is to eject mass at high speed, which imparts momentum. The gotcha is that although what you want is momentum, which increases linearly with velocity, what you have to pay to get it is energy, which increases as the square of velocity. The effectiveness of a rocket engine is meaured in specific impulse, with a unit of measure of seconds; a typical chemical rocket engine has an Isp of about 250 seconds, meaning that it can produce a pound of thrust from a pound of fuel for 250 seconds. But, even for convenient interplanetary travel, this is far too low; you would really like an Isp of a million or so, But this means increasing the energy by a factor of 16 million. Clearly, no chemical process will do, and a thermonuclear reactor (assuming that we knew how to build one, which we don't) would be marginally good enough. As for travel to the stars, no way.
2006-08-16 05:46:17 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do believe it may be possible: special relativity tells us it isn't, our current understanding of physics tells us it isn't but consider - 500 years ago the earth was flat, 350 years ago light was a particle (an idea which lasted for more than a century - even though the wavelike nature of light had been proposed around the same time) and until the last century the speed of light was not the universal consant it is today. Things change - physics has to adapt and be open to new ideas, Einstein hated the idea if quantum mechanics - maybe he was right but it helps us explain so many different phenomena.
2006-08-16 06:22:40 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The close to the speed of light an object travels, the greater its mass becomes. This is not just theory, but has been checked with big particle accelerators.
Since it "weighs" more and more, it takes more and more energy to make it go a little faster.
So no, there's no energy source that could get us to the speed of light.
There may be some things we don't know about space that would let us "travel" somewhere very quickly. Then our apparent speed would be greater than light speed. But so far these are all just far-out theories.
2006-08-16 05:53:12 · answer #4 · answered by Luis 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Traveling as fast as light is not possible in this dimension. No matter(object) can hold as much energy as to reach the speed of light.
I read in some book that traveling at the speed of light may be possible in Black Holes as some laws of physics can be broken there due existance of another dimension. So all you got to do is find a Black Hole and jump in it.
2006-08-16 05:46:08 · answer #5 · answered by Àdvice me aboût ŠtudŸ in ÄUŠ.PLŽ 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a Nasa project to send a vessel through space, made of a kind of large sail (yes, like a boat), and "lit" by laser from earth.
It should accelerate under the pressure of light to a speed very close to the speed of light. Will it reach it? We don't know!
As far as travelling close, at or above the speed of light, like the Entreprise in Star Trek, it is currently impossible with our technology. Maybe, one day, when we will know how to make black holes, bend space with huge gravitational fields... but that is not for now.
2006-08-16 05:41:48 · answer #6 · answered by just "JR" 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
With the current technology....No.
But we know from history that too many things thought of as "technically impossible" seems to have been broken.
Lets hope the same is the case with this.
Even though "faster than light might not be possible", our real goal is to travel astronomical distances in shorter time......which might not really need "faster than light travel" or "no travel at all".....you know what i mean.
2006-08-16 05:54:26 · answer #7 · answered by Infinity 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe the secret will be in finding a way to get outside of the space-time continuum....then you could put yourself back in....anywhere...anywhen. Still working on the details!
2006-08-16 05:39:44 · answer #8 · answered by sueflower 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe it is possible. Heck, I even think time travel is possible.
P.S I have a pretty big imagination.
2006-08-16 05:55:28 · answer #9 · answered by Alex S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no. maybe rockets can. if we did we get into the black hole probably and die. i dont wanna experience it. i am very much satisfied with my speed!!
2006-08-16 05:39:48 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋