Debate Speed of light?

Discussion in 'Off Topic' started by CaptnSTFU, Apr 19, 2009.

  1. CaptnSTFU

    CaptnSTFU Ancient
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    Okay im a huge scifi nerd, and this is a debatable discussion, but do you believe that there could be the technology to travel at faster than the speed of light? Or that its impossible for matter to travel faster than light since well light is essientally pure energy. In my personal opinion, i don't think faster than light can occure, but traveling as fast as light could happen.
     
  2. EGP

    EGP Ancient
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    I think that it is impossible to travel at the speed of light. I believe I was taught that in order to travel at the speed of light, you would have to become light itself. And becoming light, you are basically disenegrated, in other words, your dead. There is going to be technology in the future I believe that makes us travel faster and closer to the speed of light, but the speed of light is the maximum of all speeds I believe. I am not 100% sure about it
     
  3. Nitrous

    Nitrous Ancient
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    Why bother traveling faster (even if it was possible, which it isn't)? Just fold the third dimension through the fourth and travel on the connected points of spacetime to instantaneously traverse the universe.
     
  4. STWOW

    STWOW Ancient
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    Exactly, with folds that would be like zig zagging when you could be going straight through!
     
  5. Whisper

    Whisper Ancient
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    But...I'm not that flexible. I might hurt my back or something.
     
  6. CaptnSTFU

    CaptnSTFU Ancient
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    lol yea basically the theory of relativity makes it seem that it could be possible but the problem as stated would be becoming light aka pure energy then reverting back. If slippace is real via halo that would be nice a straight line by going through dimensions i believe.
     
  7. Nitrous

    Nitrous Ancient
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    Not only would time stop when you reached the speed of light but you wouldn't age while everyone you ever knew would die. Worm tunneling doesn't stop time and it doesn't jump you forward in time.

    Halo =/= reality.
     
  8. Whisper

    Whisper Ancient
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    Where do you get this information from? As far as I know, the only place that people have actually created wormholes is in science fiction novels (which I love). So, proof?
     
  9. makisupa007

    makisupa007 Ancient
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    Theories

    Nitrous is just saying that it is theoretically possible to create a worm hole if you have enough focussed energy at your disposal. We definitely haven't created one yet. You probably would've heard about that on the news.

    There is a particle from string theory called a Tachyon that can only travel faster than light. The speed of light is like a low speed limit they must follow. They can go much faster but never slower than light. If we could eventually understand how they do this me may be able to create means of travel in a similar way.
     
  10. Whisper

    Whisper Ancient
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    Key word: "theoretically".
    'Nuff said.
     
  11. cras777

    cras777 Ancient
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    The TARDIS.

    That's all I'm saying.
     
  12. Frag Man

    Frag Man Ancient
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    So if that's the speed of light, what's the speed of dark?
     
  13. Nitrous

    Nitrous Ancient
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    I suppose its roughly equal to the speed of smell.
     
  14. Pegasi

    Pegasi Ancient
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    Owned. You asked for that one Frag :p.

    @ OP: As far as I understand it, you can't even reach the speed of light. Relativity means that your mass increases (this slowing you down as you still have the same amount of energy) in accordance with your speed so that you get closer and closer but never reach it, one of those curvey graphs that never touch the x axis, I forget the name (it's been too long since I did physics, man I miss A levels...).

    As far as traveling faster than light, I think the most viable option is some kind of worm hole manipulation. Far fetched I know, but something not so rained upon by appreciated physics as far as I know. Technically this wouldn't actually yield faster than light speeds, but the distance jumps in comparison to traveling in regular space could mean that you would get from point A to point B faster than light would by bypassing a good deal of the actual distance.

    The Star Trek explanation (probably the most well known faster than light travel and the one which, as far as I know, has the most detailed sci-fi explanation behind it) works on the principle of creating a kind of 'bubble' around the craft in question, inside which space is as normal. The technique is supposed to distort space in front of and behind the craft, compressing space behind and decompressing it in front, kind of 'pushing' the bubble of regular space (which contains the craft) foward without actually moving in regular terms, thus being able to achieve faster than light speeds. There is actually some guy who genuinely thinks this could work, he's been researching it for years and is determined to make it work. None of his peers, however, remain very hopeful, and I gather he's somewhat of a laughing stock in established circles.
     
    #14 Pegasi, Apr 23, 2009
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2009
  15. Frag Man

    Frag Man Ancient
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    Sweet. Then that also means the speed of retardation is just as fast.
     
  16. Pegasi

    Pegasi Ancient
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    Actually retardation travels at variable speed. Me and my friend performed an experiment back in secondary school, watching the spread of retardation outwards from the central point of our class idiot, into the people directly surrounding him. The speed seems to vary, and we came to the conclusion that retardation moves along a concentration gradient, slower and slower, until equilibrium is reached. We named the process Spasmosis.
     
  17. Frag Man

    Frag Man Ancient
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    Very funny. However, that's the speed retardation infects. I'm talking about the speed it affects.
     
  18. buddhacrane

    buddhacrane Ancient
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    epic!

    Anyhoo, yeah. While I'm sure it's theoretically possible that "something" could go faster than the speed of light (tacyons?) it won't be us, since we're made of matter that cannot break such boundaries.

    Finding ways of shortening the distance we have to travel, instead of increasing the speed we travel such distances, is the more logical way to go.

    And the whole "time slows down for you" the closer you get to the speed of light thing makes my head hurt. If you're going so super duper fast that you could get from the earth to the sun and back in like 6 mins then how could several years have past back on earth when you get back, since it only took you 6 mins. That would mean that if someone was watching you from a telescope on Earth that you would've appeared to be moving really slowly, because for them it took several years, but you're travelling at near the speed of light!!! *Head Explodes*

    If you eat a sandwhich at, moving your hands at the speed of light, do you die before you eat it, because in reality it took you several years to nurish yourself??!?!?!?!!! ARGAL FLARBLE PARADOX!!!
     
    #18 buddhacrane, Apr 23, 2009
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2009
  19. xxAl Capwnagexx

    xxAl Capwnagexx Ancient
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    Honestly, I'd love to debate this, but in no way is the human mind capable of grasping the laws of light speed travel.
     
  20. Glasgow

    Glasgow Ancient
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    Currently, there is no real way to travel faster than light, and I don't expect it ever being accomplished by our race. Traveling almost at the speed of light, meaning that your vehicle is still slower than light, but still at a ridiculously high speed I think can be achieved, but there are numerous complications.

    Still, there are many complications if we had a way to travel faster than light. How would the life forms inside the ship fare? Would their bodies smash against the walls of the craft, obliterating them instantly as the ship goes travels into FTL speed? How would equipment, electronics, and the ship hull be effected? How will equipment and electronics be effected? Hell, how will the ship be effected by FTL? Can you actually plot a course to your destination? It could re-materialize inside a sun or other dangerous object, or near one, (according to the wormhole ,method) or be pulled into an object's gravity well and be driven off course as it speeds up or slows down. (in the method mentioned above)

    There are multiple approaches to achieve FTL speeds. You can slowly gain speed until you reach FTL and slow down until you reach desired speed, or almost instantly achieve it by going through some sort of wormhole and exiting it would require the craft slowing down considerably in a short amount of time. I can expect the former, a slower death, and the latter a near instantaneous death. How are you so sure you can even stop once you achieved FTL?

    I believe it (faster-than-light travel) is impossible, and can never be achieved by humans.
     

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