Is it possible to travel at or near the speed of light ?

Question

I realize the implications of such a question so take it easy on me. I am also aware that your mass would increase adinfinitem and so on ignoreing these for now Is it possible

Answer 1

Theroretically, yes

But practically no. Near the speed of light there are distortions of space-time which result in conditions which preclude human habitation.

To propel an unmanned spacecraft to such speeds would be possible and maybe oneday practical

Although Steven Hawking once made a convincing case for theroretical time-travel, he recently reversed himself on the possibility of extra-dimensional travel.

Answer 2

unfortunately, you ask us to ignore those two rules, but in reality, those 2 rules are 2 of the most important rules governing motion and relativity. as your speed increases, you mass increases, indefinitely, becoming infinately massive at the speed of light. for a finite acceleration, it would take an infinite amount of time to reach the speed of light and for a finite amount of time, it would take infinite acceleration. either of these would require infinite energy, so it is believed to be impossible by many.

at least in the local sense. some believe it is possible to create a warp engine that makes spacetime behind it expand and spacetime in front of it contract, so i travels along a "bubble" if you will of flat spacetime.

also some believe that there are loopholes in the rules of relativity. the rule says that a particle cannot "reach or exceed the speed of light" there is nothing that says that particles cannot exist that already go faster than light. these theoretical particles are called tachyons.

near the speed of light? certainly. find nuclear reactor small enough to fit on a space ship, and have enough fuel for it, and it is probably possible.

Answer 3

When a mass structure composed of atoms would be given power to move at luminous velocity,contrary to the belief that it becomes infinite ,is simply not true.For the Universe to maintain its equilibrium it must have limits. Mass of electrons can increase and decrease as they change velocities but cannot change beyound the zero degree absolute=(LIMIT)
As the structured mass moves at near velocity of light it would slowly break up into its basic component and as given enough time to reach the speed of light it would completely disintegrate as radiation.
So per your question no material atomic structure can move at the speed of light and still remain in one piece.
Perhaps a different substance which is non material ,as your soul for example ,would need to travel faster than the speed of light to reach Heaven.

Answer 4

Humm I suppose so but if Adam S below is correct you would run into a solid universe of light acting as matter for the moment all around you. Which means you are a fly caught in the light amber. LOL
I guess it implies nice jewelery for some 5th dimensional creature. LOL

Answer 5

not really?
it gets weird around there...you or I certainly cannot achieve such a feat, but electrons approach the speed of light and light has been proved to act as matter...
go figure

---edit 1
to alan g...light always acts as if it has a mass...this is why is cannot escape a black hole once it passes the event horizon...good joke, though, i guess?

Answer 6

Think about what you just said:

Ignoring the fact that you would need infinite energy (it is archaic terminology to say you'd have infinite mass), is it possible?

You obviously can't have infinite energy, so you can't travel at light speed. There's no point in carrying the hypotheticals beyond that.

Answer 7

yes Einstein proved that the speed of light is the fast es possible you can go and it is possible. but it is impossible for a solid object that fast. he proved it in his 20s or 30s. with out doing it he still proved it. much like the guy next to me said (samw) he also proved if you go at the speed of light you age 1/4 of the normal aging

Answer 8

That is kind of like saying "is the impossible possible if you ignore the fact that it is impossible?"

So the answer is yes... if you ignore the fact that it is impossible for us to travel at the speed of light then we could travel at the speed of light

Answer 9

If I recall right, you can only approach the speed of light but not reach it.

It doesn't matter to me though; I'm so old I can barely travel at the speed of dark.

Answer 10

no, because the higher laws of physics say the faster something goes the smaller it gets, while at the same time it gets heaver, thus forth slowing it down making it impossible unless you were in outer space.