Can Objects Travel at the Speed of Light?

[KingNothing]

I am not an expert on Physics and have for the past year been engulfed in work, so I am very rusty. I read a comment online recently that essentially said the laws of physics simply prevent any object from accelerating to the speed of light (infinite energy required?), but do not say that an object traveling at the speed of light would necessarily be violating physical laws.

Is it true that the commonly-understood law that "no object can travel at or above the speed of light" is derived entirely from an inability of said object to accelerate to the speed of light?

 

[tiny-tim]

Hi KingNothing!

Is it true that the commonly-understood law that "no object can travel at or above the speed of light" is derived entirely from an inability of said object to accelerate to the speed of light?

Yes.

An object of zero rest-mass must travel at the speed of light.

Any object that was created with speed faster than light would have to stay faster than light (for the same reason … it can't be accelerated down to the speed of light) …

however, such objects would violate causality, so we believe they can't exist. ​

 

[KingNothing]

Thank you kindly Mr. tiny-tim!

 

[tiny-tim]

Your Majesty is most gracious.