2007-06-17 18:26:46 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
This is a common misconception.
Relativity doesn't prohibit faster than light velocities... what it does prohibit is the acceleration of matter up to the speed of light.
There may be particles that travel at supraluminal velocities... the tachyon is one that has been proposed. It would have a Lower Speed Limit of the speed of light and an unlimited upper speed limit... it could not interact with "normal" matter in any way that would allow the transmission of information of future events otherwise it would violate "causality".
You can find more info by doing a google search of: "tachyon", "causality", and "supraluminal velocity".... or you can follow links on this Wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachyon
Info on Faster Than Light concepts:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faster-than-light
2007-06-17 18:41:59 · answer #1 · answered by John T 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I've gotten the impression that moving at even a respectable fraction of the speed of light would make the universe a very dangerous place for a person in a spacecraft. If you smacked into an atom at nearly the speed of light, this atom would have the properties of a cosmic ray. (In your frame of referrence, but that's what matters anyway.)
So if we are to get around the speed of light it will have to be by one of the science fiction ideas like "hyper-space", and at the moment these are little more than dreams.
2007-06-18 10:43:32 · answer #2 · answered by Robert K 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You may get around this problem several ways:
1.) Refuse to read the book that says you cannot travel faster than the speed of light.
2.) Build your own Universe and set up your own rules.
3.) Develop your own system of speed measurement and only use it.
4.) Vote for Hillary Clinton in the November 2008 Presidential Elections in the United States. If she wins that will mean the end to life as we know it. So speed won't matter anyhow.
2007-06-17 18:46:24 · answer #3 · answered by zahbudar 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
In physics, the speed of light would be the absolute speed limit... it may be one day possible to reach the speed of light, but physically impossible to break the barrier... There was a documentary on the Science Channel it comes on every now and again, i think it airs sometime next week
2007-06-21 08:23:50 · answer #4 · answered by Lexington 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no law that says the speed of light can't be broken. We just haven't developed a man made device to propel us faster than the speed of light.
2007-06-17 18:29:33 · answer #5 · answered by Zeltar 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
C, the so called speed of light, is actually the speed of time.
as you approach the speed of time, time no longer passes.
if you add more energy to an electron traveling at almost C, the object takes on a corkscrew path in an attempt of mimic the orbits of photons. (to my knowledge, only electrons have been accelerated to these speeds.)
2007-06-17 19:20:08 · answer #6 · answered by disco legend zeke 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simple study Zefram Cochran's Warp theory.
2007-06-17 19:13:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Find a universe where the speed of light is the slowest threshold! Then it will be easier to exceed it! Now that wasn't difficult was it?
2007-06-18 01:04:01 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Man made laws may be broken but not those of nature.
2007-06-20 10:38:43 · answer #9 · answered by johnandeileen2000 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
E=mc2
2007-06-17 18:28:34 · answer #10 · answered by Emmah 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋