Messages in this thread |  | | Date | Fri, 24 May 1996 08:53:14 -0600 (MDT) | From | Mike Wangsmo <> | Subject | Quantum Mechanics |
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I started a private thread about some properties of the speed of light and new thoeries on how it affects the speed of light and traveling great distances, but seeing how other people on the list are also interested in some ofthis, I'm re-posting my latest post on the topic. Since this really has *nothing* to do with Linux, maybe we should find an alternative list for this thread?? Any ideas there?
Ok here is another explaination (although without a chalk board it may be a bit difficult to explain). First of all since (in theory) the speed of light is *not* constant, there is NO upper limit of speed travel. Imagine for example, looking into the base of a cone towards to center with the base being perpendicular to the plane of sight. Call the peak of the cone (the furthest point from the point of sight) a source of massive gravity (not black hole, but close). A beam of light that travels from a point on the edge of the outer diameter of the base of the cone through the center is affected so strongly by the massive gravity that it is slowed dramatically as it finally escapes the forces of attraction from gravity. However an object that travels around the base of the cone (thus avoiding the massive gravity) has no noticable reduction in velocity due to gravity. In essence according to Einsein's theories, the object could travel at say 99.9% of speed of light (as measured on Earth) and reach the far side of the base of the cone before the light beam that left the same place and at the same time.
Therefore, traveling faster than light is possible and blah, blah, blah, which implies that there is no physical limit to the upper speed of light, only relative to the amount of gravity present in the measureing environment. THis argument also leaves open the possiblity of having no upper bound on the velocities attainable by objects other than light. However, at any given place in space, the speed of light will always be the greatest maximum velocity attainable. At least according the Einstein.
I really don't know why I've embarked on this rather lengthly dissucion of speed of light except that I wanted to correct a minisucal statement I thought to be in error about random numbers. Remember this is all theory and it will probably be a very long time before any of this can be proven or disproven. Interstingly enough, beacuse of the discontinueties of gravitiy fields that are present though out the universe, time travel is possible becasue of these abilities to "exceed" the speed of light. But all that is another story.
Reguards. :)
_______________________________________________________________________ Mike Wangsmo, Graduate Student wanger@fubar.cs.montana.edu Dept. of M&IE, MSU http://www.cs.montana.edu/~wanger Bozeman, MT 59717 (406) 586-0690 "May the Force be with you, always"
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