Question....

  • Thread starter Thread starter axletramp
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Originally posted by milefile
Since the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, the rod would only connect the two planets momentarily, as they would be moving away from eachother. So the point is moot.
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Yeah, in theory.
 
the weight issue of the rod would depend entirely upon the size of the planets in question. it makes sense (to me, anyway) that pusing the rod wouldn't make anything faster than the speed of light. it works on the same principle of anything else, so let's downsize (!sexual innuendo ahead!)- you push a rod, say, 10 feet long (yep), at a speed of 20mph (yep); the person on the other end would recieve the push at the speed you sent it, since the rod is absolutely solid in every concievable way (yep). (ok, back to space-distances) nothing is really moving very fast, since the rod could be pushed at 2mph as well as 1,000mph. the duration of the push alone would determine wether or not it goes more than Xmph...i think.

headbone no work more. pie.
 
Like I said earlier, the rod is not moving faster than the speed of light. However, in the moevment of the rod there is a signal (how about one push=yes, two pushes=no). If the rod is two light years long, the signal (yes/no) travels faster than the speed of light, because it is transmitted instantaneously. It's got relatively little to do with the movement or construction of the rod itself.
 
Of course the rod, itself, is theoretical. You would have to imagine a material that has the properties needed for it to keep it's shape and direction in the vacuum of space, and on the surfaces of two planets. Obviously it's impossible. It can be imagined, though, and as long as we're imagining things, anything is possible. Sure... two planets connected by a rod... push the rod and instantaneously the rod moves, two light years away. Even though right here on Earth plate techtonics shows that when matter moves it still behaves like a liquid on the macro scale, the movement is not felt until waves (through rock, in the case of techtonics, or the imaginary interstellar rod) can travel to you. A two light year long rod would be the same, on a barely conceivable scale, that is, as long as the two planets are static objects in static space, which is only an idea and exists nowhere.
 
So you're saying that there would be a delay in the signal as it passed along the rod? Therefore it could take longer than the speed of light or a microwave transmission.

I think that because you can imagine the scenario it makes it intriging. It's asking more questions than answering. :confused: Therefore I think it would be easier to produce a worm hole from planet to planet and pass the message by hand! :odd:

:D
 
Originally posted by axletramp
Therefore I think it would be easier to produce a worm hole from planet to planet and pass the message by hand! :odd:

:D
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There ya go! I like that way best. And it's equally possible.

I also forgot to mention the rotoation of these two planets. The rod would be travelling along the ground of each planet as it rotates on it's axis.

The whole idea only works in a static universe with some amazing material that can support some new physics not supported by relativity or quantum mechanics.
 
Originally posted by milefile
The whole idea only works in a static universe with some amazing material that can support some new physics not supported by relativity or quantum mechanics.
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You don't think I'm asking too much do you? :D
 
How about this one....

A space ship travelling the speed of light is large enough to contain a particle accelerator (donut shaped) which accelerates particles at the speed of light (theoretically of course, as the speed of light is, as yet, unattainable). Would that mean that the particles accelerating in the space ship moving at the speed of light are going twice the speed of light in one direction, and perfectly still in the other direction?

Space ship moves this way----->
Round accelerator on board accelerates in a circle.
When accelerating this way-----> c(2)
When accelerating the other way <------c/0
Where c=the speed of light.
 
Static light? Hmmm... :odd:

If a perfect hollow sphere with a mirrored inner surface has light passing or being shone into it (could be a laser) through a tiny hole and then the small hole was sealed faster than the speed of light, would the light reflect around infinitely within the sphere or until it is broken and release like a 'light bomb'?

Just asking... ;)
 
Originally posted by axletramp
Static light? Hmmm... :odd:
Click to expand...
Yeah. A paradox.

If a perfect hollow sphere with a mirrored inner surface has light passing or being shone into it (could be a laser) through a tiny hole and then the small hole was sealed faster than the speed of light, would the light reflect around infinitely within the sphere or until it is broken and release like a 'light bomb'?

Just asking... ;)
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Well, in-order for the light-bomb effect to happen I think the source of the light would have to remain "on." So inside the sphere would be lighted, sustaining it's own light with no source of energy, except some light particles bouncing around. I dunno...
 
Originally posted by Red Eye Racer
BTW people,... faster than the speed of light is possible... black holes and the big bang theory tell us that......
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Possible is not the same as actual, though. And it is not possible for technology to accelerate as fast as light. They can get 99.9999999% the speed of light but can't reach it.
 
Originally posted by milefile
Possible is not the same as actual, though. And it is not possible for technology to accelerate as fast as light. They can get 99.9999999% the speed of light but can't reach it.
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Some people have that problem with GT3 - What race/licence have I missed to get that last 0.00000001%! :lol:
 
E=mc2. It is a measure of both distance and speed. That's the problem with this question, it doesn't account for spacetime, only static space.
 
a light year is distance, as someone stated earlier
light year is the amount of distance light ravels / year, like someone said again
and, yes, that rod theory is correct, because of physics
refer to newton
his laws state that movement in one way will cause equal but opposite movement
so, yes, the "rod" will move
however, that is theoretical, because it is physically not possible (with our technology) to even build something that is 2 light years away
and if you apply the theorys of black holes and big bang, that "rod" theory would be immpossible, because everything is constantly moving

and, not to offend anyone, but scientists are making up a theory saying that inside black holes are crazy gamma rays, they will kill you
besides, if you walk in a black hole, the gravity will be so much that it can tear you up into pieces
 
Originally posted by axletramp
Static light? Hmmm... :odd:

If a perfect hollow sphere with a mirrored inner surface has light passing or being shone into it (could be a laser) through a tiny hole and then the small hole was sealed faster than the speed of light, would the light reflect around infinitely within the sphere or until it is broken and release like a 'light bomb'?

Just asking... ;)
Click to expand...

very interesting....
i don't think it'll work though..
laser is energy
energy is constantly being lost through many sources..
so... the ball will probably "glow" for a second or two, then get all dark cuz the laser energy has been converted into who knows what...
 
Actually, the whole thing about the speed of light is bogus because Velocity is relative.
Although any sort of wave you generate in this pole would move the whole 2 lightyears, it could not move faster than the speed of light. Compression waves in a solid only travel about 3 or so miles each second. Granted, this is much faster than 1/5 miles a second through air, it's nowhere near as fast as the 186,000 miles per second that light travels at. So relative to the pole itself, and message you try to send through it could go nowhere near the speed of light. In fact, if you were to send it in a compression wave, it would take 1,955,232,000,000 years to get to the other side.
 
Originally posted by Jpec07
Actually, the whole thing about the speed of light is bogus because Velocity is relative.
Although any sort of wave you generate in this pole would move the whole 2 lightyears, it could not move faster than the speed of light. Compression waves in a solid only travel about 3 or so miles each second. Granted, this is much faster than 1/5 miles a second through air, it's nowhere near as fast as the 186,000 miles per second that light travels at. So relative to the pole itself, and message you try to send through it could go nowhere near the speed of light. In fact, if you were to send it in a compression wave, it would take 1,955,232,000,000 years to get to the other side.
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This is what I thought. I knew that it was impossible for motion to be transmitted 2 light years instantaneously, but you got the math. Good job.
 
Originally posted by milefile
Possible is not the same as actual, though. And it is not possible for technology to accelerate as fast as light. They can get 99.9999999% the speed of light but can't reach it.
Click to expand...

As I stated earlier, velocity is relative. relative to the thing that accelerates it, yes the object cannot move faster than the speed of light. However, if you were to accelerate it as close as you can get (99.9contd. to be precise) relative to the accelerator, and were to walk the direction opposite the way of movement of the particle, relative to you, the particle would be moving faster then the speed of light. I just thought I'd break up that misconception. :D
 
Originally posted by Jpec07
Actually, the whole thing about the speed of light is bogus because Velocity is relative.
Although any sort of wave you generate in this pole would move the whole 2 lightyears, it could not move faster than the speed of light. Compression waves in a solid only travel about 3 or so miles each second. Granted, this is much faster than 1/5 miles a second through air, it's nowhere near as fast as the 186,000 miles per second that light travels at. So relative to the pole itself, and message you try to send through it could go nowhere near the speed of light. In fact, if you were to send it in a compression wave, it would take 1,955,232,000,000 years to get to the other side.
Click to expand...
This is true only if the rod is not solid. The original asker of the question would need to specify whether the rod compressed.
 
Originally posted by axletramp
Static light? Hmmm... :odd:

If a perfect hollow sphere with a mirrored inner surface has light passing or being shone into it (could be a laser) through a tiny hole and then the small hole was sealed faster than the speed of light, would the light reflect around infinitely within the sphere or until it is broken and release like a 'light bomb'?

Just asking... ;)
Click to expand...

Given the wave/particle duality of light photons, and how vague physicist get when you discuss such, you could probably make up your own answer to this...

You could probably do it if (a) the inner surface of the ball was perfectly smooth, even down to the atomic level, and (b) if the ball's diameter was an exact multiple of the wavelength of the light you were attempting to make static.
 
Originally posted by GilesGuthrie
(b) if the ball's diameter was an exact multiple of the wavelength of the light you were attempting to make static.
Click to expand...
If it were not, would that interupt the reflection? Also I see what you mean about the perfection of the inner surface. I had not taken into account that a certain amount of energy would be absorbed (at a molecular level) by the sphere, therefore a gradual (relatively) diminishment of the the light energy. :)

Jspec07, I like that observation. :D
 

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