Traveling Faster Than Light: Effects and Possibilities

In summary, the conversation discusses the effects of an object traveling faster than the speed of light and questions whether the human eye would be able to see it and how humans inside an aircraft would be affected. The response states that the question is outside the realm of the forum and emphasizes the importance of discussing currently accepted science.
  • #1
akg95
1
0
Just curious see if anyone would know exactly or have any ideas on what would happen if an object were to travel faster than the speed of light. I've asked my physics teacher but he didnt know so I figured i would ask a larger audience. So here it goes...
If an object were to some how travel faster than the speed of light (299,792,458 m/s) how would the object be effected? Would the average human eye be able to see it or would it look like it was just standing still? What about if some kind of aircraft carrying people were to reach speeds surpassing the speed of light, how would the humans inside be effected?
 
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  • #2


It's good to see young people take an interest in science. However, a question like this is basically asking, "What do the laws of physics say would happen if the laws of physics were not true?" Hopefully you can see the logical contradiction in trying to answer or discuss that.

As such, the question is outside the realm of this forum; our primary goal is to teach and discuss currently accepted science. Questions about what happens as an object approaches the speed of light are certainly fair game.

Thanks for your interest, and good luck with your physics course.
 

Related to Traveling Faster Than Light: Effects and Possibilities

1. Can anything actually travel faster than the speed of light?

No, according to Einstein's theory of relativity, the speed of light is the maximum speed at which particles with mass can travel. Anything with mass would require an infinite amount of energy to reach the speed of light, making it impossible to travel faster.

2. What are the potential effects of traveling faster than light?

The effects of traveling faster than light would violate many fundamental laws of physics and lead to paradoxes such as time travel and causality violations. It would also require the existence of exotic matter with negative mass, which is currently not supported by any evidence.

3. Is it possible to travel faster than light using shortcuts or wormholes?

While some theories suggest the existence of shortcuts or wormholes in space-time that could potentially allow for faster-than-light travel, there is currently no evidence to support their existence. Additionally, the immense amount of energy needed to create and stabilize such structures would make them impractical for space travel.

4. How does the concept of time dilation apply to traveling faster than light?

According to the theory of relativity, the faster an object travels, the slower time passes for that object. As an object approaches the speed of light, time would essentially stop for that object. This phenomenon is known as time dilation and would become more extreme as an object approaches the speed of light.

5. Are there any potential ways to overcome the limitations of traveling faster than light?

Some scientists have proposed ideas such as the Alcubierre drive, which uses the expansion and contraction of space-time to theoretically allow for faster-than-light travel. However, these concepts are purely theoretical and would require the discovery of new physics to become a reality.

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