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rootone
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If light speed (not in a vacuum) was about human walking speed ...
Did any sci fi writer try that?
Did any sci fi writer try that?
gmax137 said:
You might find this (sadly) abandoned game demo interesting . . .rootone said:If light speed (not in a vacuum) was about human walking speed ...
Did any sci fi writer try that?
If light was very slow I think it would effectively have mass and thus greatly enhanced momentum. Then rockets could work just by shining lasers or microwaves out the back for propulsion. At least for SF.Ryan_m_b said:Can’t think of any. Changing the speed of light would change so many other things that it is linked to. Greg Egan is a very good SF writer who goes heavily into the science of his books (and I mean heavy), he wrote a trilogy set in a universe where light has mass and explored the consequences of that:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9756310-the-clockwork-rocket
In the first chapter of "Mr Tompkins in Wonderland" George Gamow treats c as a a bit above bicycle speed.rootone said:If light speed (not in a vacuum) was about human walking speed ...
Did any sci fi writer try that?
This is one of my favorite books from long ago. I highly recommend it if only for the entertainment of seeing how he presents a variety of concepts in an exagerated form.Fewmet said:In the first chapter of "Mr Tompkins in Wonderland" George Gamow treats c as a a bit above bicycle speed.
Nik_2213 said:Redshift Rendezvous by John E. Stith.
There's a singularity at the centre of the spherical ship, so time, light and gravity run differently on each onion-layered deck.
CWatters said:Didnt Dr Who have something similar in a recent episode?
rootone said:If light speed (not in a vacuum) was about human walking speed ...
Did any sci fi writer try that?
As I interpret the OP, the question is about slowing the characteristic speed of spacetime, not the actual speed of light pulses. I do not believe the former has yet been achieved ;)ZapperZ said:I don't quite understand what is so exotic about this. After all, Lene Hau slowed down light to 17 mph in 1999, and our world didn't turn "sci-fi" (she and her group went all the way and slowed it down to a complete halt a few years later).
Zz.
m4r35n357 said:As I interpret the OP, the question is about slowing the characteristic speed of spacetime, not the actual speed of light pulses. I do not believe the former has yet been achieved ;)
If light speed (not in a vacuum) was about human walking speed ...
Agreed, but as you say such a question is not really worth asking. Hence I attempted to read the OPs mind ;)ZapperZ said:The OP said (emphasis mine):
If light speed were as slow as human walking speed, it would have a significant impact on many aspects of our daily lives. Communication, transportation, and technology would all be affected. We would not be able to communicate with people in other parts of the world instantly, and long-distance travel would become much more time-consuming. Additionally, many scientific theories and calculations that rely on the speed of light would need to be reevaluated.
If light speed were as slow as human walking speed, the human body would not be able to function as it does currently. Our eyes would not be able to see, as light would take a long time to reach them. Our perception of time would also be altered, as the speed of light is used to measure time. This could have significant effects on our circadian rhythm and other biological processes.
The laws of physics are based on the fundamental principles of the universe, so they would still apply even if light speed were slowed down. However, some of the equations and theories that rely on the speed of light, such as Einstein's theory of relativity, would need to be adjusted to account for the slower speed. This would require a significant rethinking of our understanding of the universe.
If light speed were as slow as human walking speed, our perception of the universe would also be drastically altered. The night sky would look very different, as we would see objects as they were in the past due to the slower speed of light. Our understanding of the size and distance of objects in the universe would also need to be reevaluated, as the current measurements are based on the speed of light.
It is difficult to say for certain if life could still exist if light speed were slowed down. The slower speed of light would have a significant impact on the conditions necessary for life to exist, such as the amount of energy and heat available. It is possible that life forms could adapt to these changes, but it is also possible that life as we know it would not be able to survive in such conditions.