Light Speed- NOT Possible!

Taupo wrote:Thomas- if you're going at, say, 99% of the sepeed of light in space and then hit the Earth's atmosphere, what would happen? Because I know light travels slower in our atmosphere, so does that mean the physical limit of the speed of light also decreases? Therefore, would you hit the atmosphere at faster than the speed of light and therefore cause the entire Universe to collapse?

Well, I'm not Thomas, but I'll try. Light is a universal constant. Just because air is there doesn't change that. So no, you could still not outrun light.

alpacaman wrote:

Taupo wrote:Thomas- if you're going at, say, 99% of the sepeed of light in space and then hit the Earth's atmosphere, what would happen? Because I know light travels slower in our atmosphere, so does that mean the physical limit of the speed of light also decreases? Therefore, would you hit the atmosphere at faster than the speed of light and therefore cause the entire Universe to collapse?

Well, I'm not Thomas, but I'll try. Light is a universal constant. Just because air is there doesn't change that. So no, you could still not outrun light.

I believe you are right Alpaca.

The constant 'c' isn't the same as the speed of light. The speed of light can change, 'c' probably doesn't. The speed of gravity is 'c' but light can vary as it passes through materials.

I think friction would slow you down (and rip you appart).

poisson14 wrote:I think friction would slow you down (and rip you appart).

Friction against what? Surely not the oh so scarce gas particles in space.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 05/07/2010 23:38:17

alpacaman wrote:

poisson14 wrote:I think friction would slow you down (and rip you appart).

Friction against what? Surely not the oh so scarce gas particles in space.

I was talking about Taupo's question. And at near the speed of light those particles would still rip you appart. Have you seen what happens to the stuff in the colliders? A lot of it ain't there when the experiment is done.

poisson14 wrote:

alpacaman wrote:

poisson14 wrote:I think friction would slow you down (and rip you appart).

Friction against what? Surely not the oh so scarce gas particles in space.

I was talking about Taupo's question. And at near the speed of light those particles would still rip you appart. Have you seen what happens to the stuff in the colliders? A lot of it ain't there when the experiment is done.

Aaahhh.... Yeah, you'd burn up pretty quick.

The only thing that traveled past light speed was the Big Bang, light's the only other thing that can travel that fast.

While you can't go faster then light, there are various ways I have heard to traverse the universe quicker then you could if you travelled normally like light does, from wormholes to folding space itself.

RogueGrox wrote:The only thing that traveled past light speed was the Big Bang, light's the only other thing that can travel that fast.

And that's because it was and is not moving through the universe. At least not this one.

That's what I would've guessed, but it seems fairly odd to me.

alpacaman wrote:

poisson14 wrote:I think friction would slow you down (and rip you appart).

Friction against what? Surely not the oh so scarce gas particles in space.

Travelling at the speed of light, a single proton hitting you would definitely destroy your ship... Remember, effectively that'd make the proton travel at the speed of light, thus giving it infinite mass...

poisson14 wrote:

alpacaman wrote:

poisson14 wrote:I think friction would slow you down (and rip you appart).

Friction against what? Surely not the oh so scarce gas particles in space.

I was talking about Taupo's question. And at near the speed of light those particles would still rip you appart. Have you seen what happens to the stuff in the colliders? A lot of it ain't there when the experiment is done.

He's got it in one.

At high speed, time slows down. At light speed, it stops.

Our only realistic solution is to bend space, making distances much shorter. Einstein I believe said that was possible in a theory of his.

STUPIDOO wrote:At high speed, time slows down. At light speed, it stops.

Our only realistic solution is to bend space, making distances much shorter. Einstein I believe said that was possible in a theory of his.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcubierre_drive

This is the way to travel light speed, warping space.

Imperiex-prime wrote:

STUPIDOO wrote:At high speed, time slows down. At light speed, it stops.

Our only realistic solution is to bend space, making distances much shorter. Einstein I believe said that was possible in a theory of his.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcubierre_drive

This is the way to travel light speed, warping space.

There is, however, another method, which we know would work so far, and that it can be done. It is, however, complicated...