Thought experiment on faster than light travel.... need help!!?
360222
Interesting question.  I'll give a hand waving argument.  Assume the Theory of Relativity is true.  I'm not so sure I believe it, but assume it is true.\n\nYou start your trip with a certain amount of fuel, which you thought would be sufficient using the ordinary laws of classical physics. As you accelerate you have to use fuel.  To you there is no increase of mass, no increase in fuel.  You feel the acceleration, and that is all.  However, after awhile it seems that you are not gaining velocity relative to the "stationary" stars as you thought you should be.  You keep using up your fuel, of whatever type you brought with you, and you continue to feel the same force of acceleration that you did, but it seems to be having less and less effect in getting you up to the velocity you want.  Eventually you run out of fuel, at something less than the speed of light relative to the earth you left.  What went wrong?  It takes more and more energy to increase velocity with respect to the earth, because with respect to earth your mass has increased, though as far as you are concerned you cannot measure any increase in your mass.  It is just the fundamental paradox of the Theory of Relativity.
650633
No known force could push you faster than light.  The only exception might be quantum entanglement, but we're nowhere near the technology to use that.  At the speed of light, nothing could catch up to you from behind, but plenty of stuff will hit you from the side or head on.  Just like any propulsion, light propulsion might get you close to but not quite to the speed of light.
85344
Based on the relativity theory, there are many studies that are taking place to look into the possibility of traversing the time-space continuum.  As far as I know, we're not quite there yet.  But if and when we are, we should be able to tap into the theoritical "worm-holes" to go into different points in space without having to exume too much time.
960079
You've lost the point of the equation.  Squaring the speed of light will give you the energy released, not an enhanced speed of light.
182711
There actually are theorists who say that it is possible to move faster than the speed of light through the distortion of space time. \nThe flaw is that it takes as much energy as about a million suns in order to be able to distort space that much. However, the big bang would have had the energy to do so. With that much outward force, and that much energy being released (remember it is all known matter being created in one instant) it probably was enough.
30733
If you were traveling at the speed of light, whether or not your lights work would probably be the least of your concerns.\n\nIn reality, the laws of physics prevent any object from traveling faster than the speed of light.\n\nSomething that is perhaps just as interesting, however, is what happens as your vehicle APPROACHES the speed of light.  Take a look at some of the work done by Einstein to get a general idea on that.
281751
Nothing will happen. THere is no sense of time when travelling at the speed of light. No time - nothing happens.\nYour clock is stopped cold.
265616
The two key elements in this question are that the speed of the spacecraft is constant, and that you are at rest relative to the spacecraft.  In this situation, you will observe the beam of light moving forward and hitting the object just the same as if you were sitting in your living room.  This is in accordance with Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity.\n\nHowever, if the spacecraft were accelerating instead of moving at a constant speed, the same might not be true. As long as the spacecraft continues to accelerate, even at speeds below the speed of light, it is possible to set up a scenario in which the spaceship stays ahead of the beam of light forever!  This is in accordance with Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, which considers the effects of acceleration and gravity on light.
1028951
The example of each person going faster than the previous assumes a consistent additive nature of speed which unfortunately falls apart (shown by experimentation) as your speed approaches the speed of light.\n\nSpeed is not absolute in the sense that there isn't a universal stationary reference point.  If there were, then the example will apply.  According to experiments, however, something travelling away from you at light speed will do so regardless of whichever direction you happen to be moving.  This is not something to reason about (nobody arbitrarily made up this rule so that philosophers can find loopholes around); it's just what's been observed so far.\n\nThe Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_light explains it a lot better than I can.  Jump to the section "Constant velocity from all reference frames" for the discussion applicable to this example of yours.\n\nHowever, an article at http://science.howstuffworks.com/news-item6.htm suggests that at least two experiments (pending validation) may have found exceptions?
1165464
Well, actually, your theory is very similar to that of the Theory of Relativity, or something. If you slowed down time by moving faster, the objects would literally gain weight. (Fat people, plz do not go on space missions...) And once you were travelling at the speed of light, you would have infinite weight. (But of course, your MASS would still be the same. So fat people should let out a big breath.) I'm not sure exactly which theory this is...
347791
Your example is actually a good one for how we know no one can travel faster than the speed of light.  The people on the boat would measure the same speed for the beam of light as those standing on the shore.\n\nEinstein's theory of special relativity states that, regardless of your motion, light's speed remains constant.  Space and time warp in order to make light's speed constant from all perspectives.  As matter gets closer and closer to the speed of light, space stretches and time contracts, requiring infinite energy to reach the speed of light.  Only things with no mass (i. e. energy only) can travel at the speed of light, and nothing we know of can go faster.\n\nHowever, Einstein's theories do suggest that we could bend space and time to allow us to get around the speed of light.  We can't travel a trillion miles per second, but, with enough energy, we could shift some spot a trillion miles away to right next to us.
644825
According to Special Relativity Theory, when you are transporting a mass at a speed near lightspeed, the energy needed to increase your speed rises to infinity. We can't provide the system with enough energy to reach the light of speed.\n\nEnergy, though, can travel at the speed of light because it has no mass. If we could transform a mass in energy (remember: E = m c^2) and re-create it at destination, travelling at lightspeed would be possible.\n\nBut, as Dark Helmet said, speed of light is too slow. We need ludicrous speed!
878573
You wanted a serious answer so here goes.\n\nWhat you ask is impossible to put into practise. It is impossible under Einsteins theory for anyone to travel at the speed of light.\n\nSimply put I will try to explain why,, as you approach the speed of light matter expands or rather the mass does. According to the research , the speed of light would produce infinite mass so it is impossible to travel at that speed.\n\nThat's were the theory of worm holes came about, by creating a rip through space you can jump if you like from one point to another, crossing several light years of travel in an instant. But as you have made use of a warp in space itself you don't actually go the speed of light.\n\nSo basically, you cannot answer your question,, I can see were you get this idea from though as it is true that the faster an objects velocity is, the slower time passes for that object.\n\nThis was proven some 50 years ago by use of atomic clocks on a plane, one flew round the world while the other remained in London. When they were brought together it was noted that time passed slower for the moving clock.\n\nHope this helps.
334240
Well, completely aside from size, light-speed travel is currently impossible by our technology. When and if that technology is ever invented, I would say 'yes', because there is no such thing as wind resistance in space ^_^
391238
Contrary to popular belief, matter can actually travel at or faster than the speed of light, in a way. How?\nThe object must first be travelling close to the speed of light by conventional propulsion. In order for it to at least match light speed, it MUST utilize warp drives. (remember Star Trek?)\nWarp drives work by using gravity to condense the space fabric in front of the object and antigravity from antimatter to expand the space fabric behind the object. In theory, if the object is travelling close to the speed of light through adequately-condensed space, the object should be travelling at more than the speed of light if the space is expanded. Get what I mean?\nTry this representation. Picture a flat napkin. Superimpose the x and y coordinates of the Cartesian planes onto the napkin. Now, fold the napkin along the x-coordinates, starting from the left to the right, folding down the napkin for the first time, folding it up the second, folding it down the third... Now, soak one end of the napkin, I mean the longer ends, along the y-axis. The result is the whole sheet getting soaked, because the water travels through the "condensed" form of the napkin directly. If you soaked one end of an open, flat napkin, the water still travels at the same speed through the napkin, only this time, it doesn't travel as far within the similar periods of time.\nThe speed of the water represents the speed of your object, and the napkin represents the fabric of space. Get the picture? The object doesn't travel faster than light speed by itself. It never broke the laws of physics, but travelling through condensed space produces the intended effect.
678688
It's not a yes or no question.\n\nCan one travel faster than the speed of light?  No.\n\nCan objects be moving away from each other at a relative rate faster than the speed of light?  Yes.\n\nMeditate upon this, and you may become enlighted, or enspeeded, or something...
1085739
OK!! Ignore the people who are saying that nothing physical can travel at the speed of light.  Light is physical and does actually travel at the speed of light!!  \n\nOnto your hypothetical train.  If the train is travelling at the speed of light and you try to run from one end to the other, logic dictates that you'd be travelling faster than light, but this time logic fails us.\n\nIt is impossible, according to einstein to travel faster than light.  But, according to einstein, it is possible to run from one end of the train to the other!!  This is done because they would be in the same place!  This is due to a part of the Theory of relativity call Lorentz contraction! \n\nAccording to you, the train would be the same length as it would be if stationary, and you would feel like you were running as if it were stationary.  But relative to the observer that is 'stationary' (actualy no such thing according to einstein) you would be at both ends of the train at the same time because you and the train would be zero.  The formula for lorentz contraction is L=L(0) x (square root of(1-(v/c)^2)).  Where L is the length of the train according to an observer, L(0) is the length of the stationary train, v is the speed of the train, c is the speed of light.\n\nIf you make v=c then you'll see that the train and you have absolutely no length.