would it be possible to stop,turn around,and see yourself coming?
2007-03-20 12:31:40 · 5 answers · asked by J-Bone 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
answer the questio...IF I COULD.... come on think of the stars...
2007-03-20 12:40:39 · update #1
No, because time dilation would mean that, for you, the speed of light remains constant at 300,000km/s. So the photon's being emitted/reflected from the front of your spaceship would still be heading away from you at the speed of light and so you could never catch them up.
2007-03-20 12:36:12 · answer #1 · answered by davidbgreensmith 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your question belies the laws of physics. How can you possibly expect a satisfactory answer based on logic when you are positing an irrational universe?
Those of us who attempted to answer your question based on the laws of physics were suckered into attempting to answer an illogical question with logic. That never (well rarely) works.
So let's enter into the world of Alice, where things do not behave logically according to the laws of physics. There you are at v = c velocity, the speed of light. Then you stop suddenly. In our universe, that would be your death knoll beccause F = mdv/t = ma and since your velocity went from v = c to v = 0 in an instant, the acceleration would be HUGE. Thus, the force (F) on your frail little body would also be HUGE...bigger than a Jabberwocky sitting on you. [See source.]
OK, OK, you're the person of steel, nothing can smoosh your body. So you stop on a dime and turn around. What makes you think you'd see yourself? You are already at point X (floating out there in sub-zero space with no atmosphere) and those photons bouncing off your body came along with you because they travel at the speed of light too...duh, they are light. There is no trail of your essence that lags behind where you are now...at point X.
If you think traveling at light speed somehow bends space so much that it all converges on you...think again. Space would only do that if your virtual mass were infinite. But it clearly isn't in your universe because you can travel at the speed of light, which you cannot do with an infinite virtual mass. So clearly, without your mass m = infinity, space will not curve and so you wouldn't be looking back on a mirror image of yourself.
The bottom line, your question twas brillig and the slithy stove...you can't have the real universe and the one you propose in the same time and space.
2007-03-20 20:14:50 · answer #2 · answered by oldprof 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Theoretically you cannot travel at the speed of light as matter.
2007-03-20 19:35:50 · answer #3 · answered by bravozulu 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No
At the speed of light your mass goes to infiinite, your length goes to zero and time stops.
With infinite mass you'd have infinite gravity and the entire uniserve would get sucked into you.
That's why you can't go the speed of light.
2007-03-20 19:36:45 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
def cant reach the speed of light homie, sorry.
2007-03-20 19:44:15 · answer #5 · answered by Ken F 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋