Relativity is a THEORY, so does that mean that it could be wrong?

Question

Maybe stuff really can travel faster than light. Maybe time is only as we have developed standards to, such as hours or minutes?

Answer 1

Sure, it could be wrong, but it's currently accepted as true because we've seen enough experimental evidence to support it. It isn't a LAW, because we haven't been able to verify that there ISN'T an exception to the rule -- just because you haven't found one doesn't mean it doesn't exist (enough negatives in that sentence for ya? sheesh...)

So could something travel faster than light, if there is an exception to relativity? Sure. However, your last statement is false -- hours and minutes are only a means of measuring time, but do not have any affect on the NATURE of time -- time passes in the same way whether you use hours, minutes, seconds, lunar cycles, seasons, galactic rotations, or the time between politician's lies to measure it. And under the theory of relativity, time passes differently based on your frame of reference anyway, so it's a totally subjective measure to begin with. We simply use seconds as the standard measure so we have a system we can all agree with (As a f'rinstance, my mother immigrated from China during an era when they still used the lunar calendar, and there were some serious problems with conversion at the INS, so the birthdate listed on her citizenship papers is slightly off from her actual birthday, because people weren't familiar with each other's system of measuring the passage of years)

Answer 2

There have already been some very good answers. I'll just add a greatly simplified one:

Over the course of the 101 years since Einstein first published his theory of relativity, it's accuracy has been confirmed by thousands of experiments and observations. There have been NO experiments or observations that have shown it to be false, or that show the theory is incorrect in any way.
Given that accumulation of evidence, it can't be *wrong.* We could come up with mathematical formulas that do a better job of describing the observed phenomena it describes, and there could be found exceptions to the theory, but those would be modifications to the theory, not replacements. Science ALWAYS allows for the possibility that more information can lead us to *better* theories...but a theory isn't a guess or just somebody's imagination, a hypothesis doesn't get promoted to theory until there is evidence to support it.

Answer 3

Well a "theory" can be wrong but you can usually depend on science and mathematics to be accurate, so if part of the theory is proven with math and physics, i.e. e = mc(squared) you can pretty much depend on that part being correct.

Theories can be modified, expanded upon, etc. as more knowledge and facts are gained. Also, we always define physics to work as of our understanding in this dimension, meaning, different physical laws must take place elsewhere (like inside a black hole).

Perhaps an answer will be found to traveling faster than light by temporarily leaving our dimension (via a wormhole?) and then finding our way back!

Answer 4

In the strictest of senses, yes, it could be wrong.

Just like the theory of evolution could be wrong.

But I doubt either of them is completely wrong. At this point in time (and space) the theory of relativity is the one that fits the data best. E=mc^2 explains nuclear fission reactions and the massive energy produced in the process that gives us nuclear bombs as well as nuclear electricity generation. Given that a nuclear reactor can be designed to produce a certain amount of electricity makes just the thought of the theory being wrong kinda farfetched. But, again, it is a theory that best describes an observed phenomenon. Other explanations can be discovered that account for some things that Einstein might not have observed or been able to explain.

Answer 5

No its not going to be wrong - there could be a new theory that is even more accurate but that doesnt make relativity wrong - there is so much experimental support - the same applies to quantum mechanics.

Think of it this way - there is a theory of gravity - could it be superceded by more accurate theories that explain more and cover more experimental situations? Yes... but no matter how you feel about scientific theories you're not going to suddenly fly off in to space if someone 'proves gravity wrong' are you?

A theory in science is not the same as a theory in other fields of human endeavour and I wish people would try and understand that before embarking on the whole 'evolution is just a theory' deal.

Answer 6

It's a theory because we can't verify it at our current level of understanding. For something to breach to light barrier, it would need more conventional energy than actually exists in the universe.