Q: Can anything travel faster than light? A: No

[earth_as_one]

All observers, regardless of their relative velocity, will always measure zero-mass particles such as photons traveling at the speed of light in a vacuum. If you were to accelerate towards the speed of light, you would see a blue shift in front and a red shift behind, but your observed speed of light would remain unchanged, just like you were chasing a carrot on a stick.

What happens is that moving observer's time relative to the stationary observer's time slows as they accelerate. As moving observer travels faster and faster, their perception of time becomes slower and slower and their percieved speed of light remains constant.

velocity=distance/time

Time is not constant.
The velocity of light is constant.

Einstein deduced this by pure logic and as a result came up with his famous equation: E=mc2

Other consequences of increased speed are increased mass. Accelerating to the speed of light would require an infinite amount of energy, because the object would have infinite mass.

Einstein isn't absolutely correct, but his predictions have been proven more or less accurate by many different experiments.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

...his predictions have been proven more or less accurate by many different experiments.

There's no "more or less" about it, both special and general relativity have proven to be extraordinarily accurate in every test anyone's been able to devise.

 

[Curiosity]

There's no "more or less" about it, both special and general relativity have proven to be extraordinarily accurate in every test anyone's been able to devise.

I am way out of my league here... but I have a question for the knowledgeable...

How can there be a test in existence to measure lightspeed - as there is nothing known to science/experts which can exceed that phenom?

 

[s_lone]

What do you think of this?

SPACE.com -- Scientists Claim To Break Speed-of-Light Barrier

 

[JLM]

I am way out of my league here... but I have a question for the knowledgeable...

How can there be a test in existence to measure lightspeed - as there is nothing known to science/experts which can exceed that phenom?

Hi Curiosity- It's a little much for my feeble mind too, but try reading the attached..........The Speed of Light

 

[s_lone]

Here's a question that's tickling my mind. I understand that velocity is relative to the observer. For example, I often see cars zoom past me at around 100 km/hour or so... But from a cosmic point of view, these cars are going much, much faster, considering that the Earth is turning around the sun and that the sun itself is moving along in its galaxy, which is also moving across the 'space matrix' at high speeds...

From a different point of view, the car is going much faster than 100 km/hour.

To the best of my understanding, any given distance is relative and is always considered from a relatively fixed point of view.

Here's the question. If the speed of light is the absolute velocity, what or where is the absolutely fixed point of view from which it can be measured and observed?

(I understand my question may be flawed in that I might misunderstand basic concepts of modern physics.)

 

[TenPenny]

I know one thing that's faster than the speed of light - the speed of ignorance.

 

[Cliffy]

The mind can move faster than the speed of light. Ask anyone who has done large doses of pure clinical LSD.

 

[Spade]

Here's a question that's tickling my mind. I understand that velocity is relative to the observer. For example, I often see cars zoom past me at around 100 km/hour or so... But from a cosmic point of view, these cars are going much, much faster, considering that the Earth is turning around the sun and that the sun itself is moving along in its galaxy, which is also moving across the 'space matrix' at high speeds...

From a different point of view, the car is going much faster than 100 km/hour.

To the best of my understanding, any given distance is relative and is always considered from a relatively fixed point of view.

Here's the question. If the speed of light is the absolute velocity, what or where is the absolutely fixed point of view from which it can be measured and observed?

(I understand my question may be flawed in that I might misunderstand basic concepts of modern physics.)

Ahhh... the spinning water in a pail

 

[AnnaG]

I am way out of my league here... but I have a question for the knowledgeable...

How can there be a test in existence to measure lightspeed - as there is nothing known to science/experts which can exceed that phenom?

Same way people can test speeds of bullets. Something observable traveling x distance at t time. A flash of light takes so long to travel a distance.

 

[AnnaG]

The mind can move faster than the speed of light. Ask anyone who has done large doses of pure clinical LSD.

... or not. My mind can skip across the solar system in a nanosecond. Light takes longer to do that.

 

[taxslave]

Apparently not enough people watch science fiction movies. It will happen, just not yet. Many things that were once in the realm os SF are now reality.
Cliffy: If you needed large doses of acid you should have just changed suppliers.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Can anything travel faster than light? A: No

Neutrinos? Close but no cigar?

 

[Liberalman]

There is different wavelengths in the light group did any body do any testing on those wavelengths speeds.

We have to remember that theories are just that and they will eventually proved false when another idea in inserted.

Do we have any instruments that can measure anything faster than the speed of light?

 

[AnnaG]

Apparently not enough people watch science fiction movies. It will happen, just not yet. Many things that were once in the realm os SF are now reality.
Cliffy: If you needed large doses of acid you should have just changed suppliers.

... or build a lab.

 

[AnnaG]

There is different wavelengths in the light group did any body do any testing on those wavelengths speeds.

variable light velocity
Other than that, I think light speed is light speed regardless of wavelength.

We have to remember that theories are just that and they will eventually proved false when another idea in inserted.

..... or supported or modified.

Do we have any instruments that can measure anything faster than the speed of light?

All one needs is a point a and a point b and something to measure time with.

 

[weaselwords]

Just go with the Theory of Everything & be done with it.

 

[AnnaG]

Just go with the Theory of Everything & be done with it.

lol
The speed of Everything is varied and sometimes variable. Earth and contents are speeding along at about 107,000 KPH while spinning at about 1600 KPH. Other parts of Everything are at different speeds.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Here's the question. If the speed of light is the absolute velocity, what or where is the absolutely fixed point of view from which it can be measured and observed?

(I understand my question may be flawed in that I might misunderstand basic concepts of modern physics.)

Speed of light is absolute, this means that it does not depend upon the speed or the location of the observer. It doesn’t matter where the observer is or how fast he is traveling, he will always measure the same value for speed of light.

Indeed, this can lead to all kinds of strange paradoxes when you approach the speed of light. For instance, two observers may see two events A and B in different order, depending upon their position and speed.

Thus let us say I get up from the couch and get a beer. In one frame of coordinates, the observer will see that, in another frame of coordinates, the observer will see me get the beer first and get up afterwards.

I am simplifying here of course. But the speed of light being absolute (and unattainable) results in many strange paradoxes near the speed of light.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

I am way out of my league here... but I have a question for the knowledgeable...

How can there be a test in existence to measure lightspeed - as there is nothing known to science/experts which can exceed that phenom?

Curiosity, it is not strictly accurate to say that nothing is known to scientists that can travel faster than light.

Science has postulated the existence of ‘tachyons’, particles which travel faster than light. Scientists have worked out the physics, particle mechanics etc. of tachyons. Some have even postulated that tachyons may be produced in the super collider collisions.

So existence of faster than light particles is a very real possibility. However, that doesn’t mean that speed of light can be exceeded. Speed of light is a barrier which cannot be crossed from either end. If a tachyon slows down to near the speed of light, it gains in mass; same as if a tardyon (slower than light particle) speeds up to near the speed of light

Speed of light is not so much an upper limit as it is a singularity. If you travel slower than light, you cannot go faster than light. If you are traveling faster than light, you cannot travel slower than light.

Some have even speculated that to a traveler who is traveling faster than light, we will appear to be traveling faster than light and he will appear (to himself) to be traveling slower than light.

When it comes to speed of light, you just can’t win.