In the 1600's & 1700's none of those people at the time could have ever dreamed of the technologies that we use today so who knows
2007-12-06 16:10:19 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
With today's knowledge of physics, it seems impossible. Unless we come up with a weird way to distort space or bypass it altogether (wormhole?) we're probably going to be stuck strolling the galaxy.
2007-12-06 16:25:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is very common and understandable for people to use the argument you just used. I hear it often. They thought something was crazy or unthinkable back when, but how wrong they turned out to be!
But their disbelief is not founded in real knowledge about what is actually possible. As recently as 150 years ago it would have been risky for someone to say anything was impossible because they didn't have the knowledge about the Universe which would exclude anything from consideration. Now we actually do. The speed of light is not a local thing and it is not something which an advanced technology might be able to achieve. We know it can't be reached and more importantly we can PROVE why.
Ages ago, some said that perpetual motion meachines were impossible. But they were right. I think the ancient Greeks proved that an angle can't be trisected, but they were right, too. (Weird, that's the second time I'e used that analogy for something tonight.)
2007-12-07 01:57:31 · answer #2 · answered by Brant 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Personally, I think it is possible. We just can't make the mental leap to the engineering required yet. We already know of some things (tachyons) that move faster than the speed of light. So we know it is possible. Anomalies have been sighted near black holes where it seems that light is exceeding the predicted maximum speed. The catch is that so far, that knowledge is not yet practical. And that is where engineering will have to kick in.
It is my own belief that the speed of light is NOT a true constant. It is a derived constant based on issues in the multiple dimensions of string theory that predicts eight or nine possible dimensions for space/time. If we learn to manipulate some of the less obvious dimensons, we might be able to evade the issue and exceed the speed of light in this continuum. But hey, I've been known to be wrong, too.
2007-12-07 00:24:07 · answer #3 · answered by The_Doc_Man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think so. We are going into the second century of flight, and look at what we have achieved so for. I think the speed of light is our next and upcoming challenge. By the way, this has been worked on for several years now. What is speed? It is said to be time and distance. Wrong these are road blocks in our way of thinking. Man must cleanse.his mind of things that are know to work and things that don't. Open the mind and dream of what can and might be. . .
2007-12-07 00:52:34 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
in theory, no. according to einstiens thoery of general relativity to accelerate even the smallest particle to the speed of light would take an infinate amount of energy. the amount of energy in the universe is finite, therefore the speed of light can never be reached by any thing in the universe.
in reality, who knows. thoeries are always being revised, updated or replaced because new descoveries expose flaws and exceptions. maybe the next breakthrough thoery will permit superlight speeds.
2007-12-07 00:40:28 · answer #5 · answered by mikedelta 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The theory behind it makes it all but impossible. Even 0.5 C would take unthinkable technology.
2007-12-07 00:18:28 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋