Limitations of Light Speed and Detecting Black Hole Collisions in the Universe

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In summary, the conversation is discussing the limitations of the speed of light in the universe and whether there could be any other signals or radiation that we could detect that are faster than light. The conversation also touches on the possibility of detecting events like black hole collisions or supernovas happening far away in space. However, due to our current understanding of physics, it is not possible to know what would happen or whether we could detect such events.
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mieral
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Light speed is the maximum speed within spacetime so the universe is limited by the speed of light.. supposed there was a signal that is faster than light.. do they have corresponding radiation that we can detect.. for example.. some black holes in center of galaxies are billions of times the solar mass.. or let's say two black holes collide.. if somehow everything happens at same time in all parts of the universe.. is there a way to detect any black hole collision or even supernova happening say 200 million light years away now on earth? what particular vacuum radiation would they emit (theoretically)?
 
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Hi mieral.

Unfortunately there is simply no way to know what would happen since there are no known FTL particles and the few hypothetical ones cause serious causality concerns (paradoxes and such). We can only answer questions about physics that we currently understand or that are based on our current understanding.

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1. What is the speed of light and why is it considered the universal speed limit?

The speed of light in a vacuum is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second. It is considered the universal speed limit because according to Einstein's theory of relativity, as an object's speed approaches the speed of light, its mass increases, making it harder and harder to accelerate. At the speed of light, an object's mass would become infinite, and it would require infinite energy to accelerate it further.

2. Why is it impossible to exceed the speed of light?

As mentioned before, as an object's speed approaches the speed of light, its mass increases, making it harder and harder to accelerate. This increase in mass requires an infinite amount of energy to accelerate the object to the speed of light, making it impossible to exceed.

3. How does the limitation of light speed affect our ability to detect black hole collisions in the universe?

The limitation of light speed makes it difficult to detect black hole collisions in the universe because the signals from these collisions travel at the speed of light, meaning they can take thousands, if not millions, of years to reach us. This makes it challenging to observe and study these events in real-time.

4. Can we use other methods to detect black hole collisions besides observing the signals at the speed of light?

Yes, there are other methods that scientists use to detect black hole collisions. One method is through the detection of gravitational waves, which are ripples in the fabric of space-time caused by massive objects like black holes. By observing these gravitational waves, we can indirectly detect black hole collisions.

5. Are there any advancements in technology that could potentially overcome the limitations of light speed in detecting black hole collisions?

Scientists are continually developing new technologies and techniques to overcome the limitations of light speed in detecting black hole collisions. One example is the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), a space-based gravitational wave observatory that will be able to detect collisions between supermassive black holes, which emit stronger gravitational waves than smaller black holes.

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