THE SPEED OF LIGHT CAN BE EXCEEDED! Fuckn' hell!

[Audley Strange]

Some kind of doppler effect caused by reaction with the sensors, captain.

[Bella Fortuna]

Some kind of doppler effect caused by reaction with the sensors, captain.

But I don't wanna be doppled!

[klr]

Ye cannae change the laws of physics!

[Geoff]

Some kind of doppler effect caused by reaction with the sensors, captain.

But I don't wanna be doppled!

Dopple penetration?

[Bella Fortuna]

Some kind of doppler effect caused by reaction with the sensors, captain.

But I don't wanna be doppled!

Dopple penetration?

Mmm, a particle and wave at the same time...

[Geoff]

Some kind of doppler effect caused by reaction with the sensors, captain.

But I don't wanna be doppled!

Dopple penetration?

Mmm, a particle and wave at the same time...

That's the double slit experiment, I was thinking more MMF rather than MFF...

[Matty]

The speed of light limit emerges de novo from the equations of Special Relativity.

disclaimer: i am not a physicist.

however as i understand it, e=mc2 would mean that in order to make something with any mass whatsoever go as fast as the speed of light, would require an infinite amount of energy (because its mass increases massively as you near the speed of light, which needs more energy to further increase the speed, etc etc), and needing an infinite amount of energy to get to the speed of light means it is impossible. Its one of those idea where you can get ridiculously close but never quite get there.

that said, and this is where it all gets a bit seriously hazy for me, i believe that only applies to this universe. If any of the hypothesized multiversal models hold true and there is some way to tap into the energy of other universes than it might in some form of ridiculously far fetched theory be possible.

[Faithfree]

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.

[eXcommunicate]

I really don't think this makes us "rethink what we know" or any of the hyperbole bandied about. Einstein didn't make us throw out Newtonian physics and this, if true, wouldn't make us throw out Einstein.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Forgive my ignorance...and I'm pretty goddamn ignorant...but why is the speed of light the fastest speed again? Why shouldn't anything exceed this speed?

No doubt someone will come along to explain this shortly.

In the meantime, if I understand it at all (which I don't), - it would seem that Einstein's equation (E=MC^2) dictates that anything massive is limited to subluminal speeds because the nearer to the speed of light a mass is accelerated then the more massive it becomes and would therefore require an infinite (?) amount of energy to reach it. - (Or something. )
Nobody has ever explained to me, however, why photons are not infinitely heavy. - I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation which I won't be able to undertand.

That's bass ackwards, JSR. Photons have NO mass - none at all - that's how come they can travel at the speed of light (in fact they cannot do anything BUT travel at the speed of light! They are never still.)

These results are pretty goddam OSSUM if true! but neutrinos have always been weird. For one thing, nobody knows if they weigh anything - all anyone has been able to show is that, if they do weigh something, it must be less than (insert specific value for each type of neutrino.)

This would also imply that neutrinos could, perceivably, travel backwards in time - I think.

My brain is on fire - i needz alcomahol!

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

Confusing. I'm sure I heard or read one of these 'factoids' somewhere that a bout 4 Kg of light falls on the earth each year. Maybe I dreamed it or something.

(in fact they cannot do anything BUT travel at the speed of light!......)

I believe light has been measured (presumably through a medium) at speeds as low as 30-something mph. Weird.


Edit:- Just realised that we've kinda been here before...
http://rationalia.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... it=+photon

[FBM]

Forgive my ignorance...and I'm pretty goddamn ignorant...but why is the speed of light the fastest speed again? Why shouldn't anything exceed this speed?

Because if not flares could make a comeback and nobody wants that

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Confusing. I'm sure I heard or read one of these 'factoids' somewhere that a bout 4 Kg of light falls on the earth each year. Maybe I dreamed it or something.

(in fact they cannot do anything BUT travel at the speed of light!......)

I believe light has been measured (presumably through a medium) at speeds as low as 30-something mph. Weird.


Edit:- Just realised that we've kinda been here before...
http://rationalia.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... it=+photon

Light travels slower through different media - but not really!

In a vacuum, light travels at c and only at c. However, through air, photons hop from molecule to molecule - A photon travels through the vacuum between molecules until it collides and is absorbed - after that, the most likely event (although not the only possible event) is that the energy of the photon is released as another photon, travelling in the same direction as the first. Molecules are pretty sparsely spaced in air, so there is not a great deal of absorption and re-emitting going on, but there is enough to slow down the speed of light in air. In water, the molecules are much more closely packed, so light travels much slower. In glass, they are more closely packed still. BUT, the speed that the photon travels through the vacuum between the molecules is ALWAYS c - the extra time is taken up by the photon's energy being transformed into a higher electron state within matter and then retransformed back into a photon.

I am not sure about the "weight" of light falling upon Earth. i think this may have something to do with conservation of momentum but I need to go look at some books!

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

I see. That makes a certain amount of sense.

I am not sure about the "weight" of light falling upon Earth. i think this may have something to do with conservation of momentum but I need to go look at some books!

Good luck. I had a quick google around but couldn't find anything to support it. It might be complete bollox...I really don't know for sure.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

I see. That makes a certain amount of sense.

I am not sure about the "weight" of light falling upon Earth. i think this may have something to do with conservation of momentum but I need to go look at some books!

Good luck. I had a quick google around but couldn't find anything to support it. It might be complete bollox...I really don't know for sure.

I am pretty sure it's not complete bollocks.

As I said, photons can be absorbed by matter and re-emitted. But they also (temporarily) raise the quantum energy state of the matter, making it move faster. Momentum is mass x speed, so the same amount of mass, moving faster has more momentum - this is the principle behind the solar sail and other cool stuffz. I think it is also related to what you mentioned. Perhaps. -ish.

You should really wait for someone that knows a bit more physics.