Originally posted by Doctor Q
...The rule that if you go faster than light you can never slow down to the speed of light or below is simply a mathematical result. It doesn't say that it is possible to go faster than light. It just doesn't rule it out. Imagine that you were traveling on the hyperbola below. You can move as far as you like toward or away from the Y axis along the X axis on either side, but you can never cross from one side of 0 to the other. People on the positive side might understand the formula while still not knowing if there could actually be creatures on the other side.
Warning: I may not be explaining any of this properly. My qualifications are that I enjoy reading about science stuff that I barely understand. Maybe we'll get lucky and a real astrophysicist will correct my misstatements.
Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
That's a 2D representation. Rotate that curve around an axis diagonally through the center in the quadrants that don't contain the curve and you get a way to reach both sides (requires more dimensions, but there actually are so it might happen)
D
Originally posted by Counterfit
Hmm, if you were traveling at or greater than the speed of light, and looked behind you. Would you see nothing? Or would it be a near still image? Hmm, that would be great for the Photography MMMMMMMMMCXI Thread![]()
Originally posted by King Cobra
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I'll be damned. Another PacificT.com Graphing Calculator connoisseur!![]()
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And I'm going with Doctor Q on this one: Keep lecturing.
Dudes, you guys know seemingly so much. Did all of you guys major in Physics or something?
Originally posted by Counterfit
Hmm, if you were traveling at or greater than the speed of light, and looked behind you. Would you see nothing? Or would it be a near still image? Hmm, that would be great for the Photography MMMMMMMMMCXI Thread![]()
Originally posted by Snowy_River
Actually, yes.![]()
Originally posted by Counterfit
MMMMMMMMMCXI Thread
Originally posted by Counterfit
Well then, the Photography VVMVCMXCIX thread
That's 10,004,999 right?
Does that mean the following?Originally posted by King Cobra
There is a roman symbol for 5000. It's a "V" with a line above it. Just like there's V for 5 million. I'm not sure what happens after that, though.
Originally posted by mangoduck
aw, but black sheep are all the rage right now. this explains special relativity very well, along with black holes and lorenz contraction.
my understanding is that bending of time is not caused by contraction, which is related but part of the bend itself. the cause is the presence of mass, and with it, gravity (or acceleration, which is ultimately indistinguishable from gravity).
see the "light clock" example in the book linked above for an explanation of the link between velocity and experienced time.
Originally posted by crenz
Snowy_River, thanks so much for your explanations! It's really interesting to read discussions like these...
But I'm wondering about one thing: If time is standing still when travelling at light speed, then even with infinite energy this boundary couldn't be crossed: you'd just stop there...[/I]
I would "attend" your lectures. And I can't wait to use the excuse "a black hole ate my homework" when I'm late with my assignments.Originally posted by Snowy_River
I wonder if I should start a physics discussion thread, kind of like the photography threads. I could choose a new topic every week or two and give a quick, impromptu lecture on the topic. If anyone was interested in such a thing...
Originally posted by Snowy_River
I could choose a new topic every week or two and give a quick, impromptu lecture on the topic. If anyone was interested in such a thing...
Originally posted by Snowy_River
I wonder if I should start a physics discussion thread, kind of like the photography threads.
Originally posted by Snowy_River
Here's a better graph:
Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
What happens when you're traveling .5 c and you hit a grain of sand
D