05-23-2003, 01:52 PM
Hi,
if one could achieve the speed of light, then one could travel anywhere instantly
Incorrect. You would instead be travelling at the speed of light, which as you may or may not know is far, far slower than "instantly". A paltry 186,200 miles per second!
This is the problem with people who don't know what they are talking about discussing subjects like this. You are both, almost, right. Photons, being light, travel at the speed of light (duh). Now, the Earth and Sun are almost at rest with each other (30 km/s (IIRC) orbital velocity as compared to 300,000 km/s speed of light). So we can consider the Earth to be in the Sun's (almost) inertial frame. Now, measurements are only valid relative to the frame they are measured in. In the Sun's reference frame it takes approximately 8 minutes for a photon to cross from the Sun to the Earth. But in the Photon's reference frame it takes no time at all. The space contraction in the direction of the photon's motion is complete. So the point at which the photon is emitted and the point at which it is absorbed are "in contact".
As to the rest of the subject, it is very interesting. Unfortunately, the actual ideas that fit within existing or even possible theories of how the universe works are not included nor discussed. Trying to rationally discuss them in a group that has not had the necessary background is like a group of people born blind trying to discuss Renaissance painting -- it can be done, but most of what is said will be nonsense and none of it worth the time.
--Pete
if one could achieve the speed of light, then one could travel anywhere instantly
Incorrect. You would instead be travelling at the speed of light, which as you may or may not know is far, far slower than "instantly". A paltry 186,200 miles per second!
This is the problem with people who don't know what they are talking about discussing subjects like this. You are both, almost, right. Photons, being light, travel at the speed of light (duh). Now, the Earth and Sun are almost at rest with each other (30 km/s (IIRC) orbital velocity as compared to 300,000 km/s speed of light). So we can consider the Earth to be in the Sun's (almost) inertial frame. Now, measurements are only valid relative to the frame they are measured in. In the Sun's reference frame it takes approximately 8 minutes for a photon to cross from the Sun to the Earth. But in the Photon's reference frame it takes no time at all. The space contraction in the direction of the photon's motion is complete. So the point at which the photon is emitted and the point at which it is absorbed are "in contact".
As to the rest of the subject, it is very interesting. Unfortunately, the actual ideas that fit within existing or even possible theories of how the universe works are not included nor discussed. Trying to rationally discuss them in a group that has not had the necessary background is like a group of people born blind trying to discuss Renaissance painting -- it can be done, but most of what is said will be nonsense and none of it worth the time.
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?