- #1
Loren Booda
- 3,125
- 4
How would our present universe appear to us if light and gravity were either instantaneous since the big bang, or gradually so, marked by relatively recent events?
How Would the Universe Appear if Light and Gravity Were Instantaneous?
- Thread starter Loren Booda
- Start date
-
- Tags
- Light
In summary: If light and gravity were gradually so, then we would have used the term "from place A to place B" because everything would be happening at the same time. Special Relativity would not have been as important because the "cause" and "effect" would take place simultaneously. Travelling at the speed of light would not have been controversial because it would be the same as travelling to another place instantaneously. SETI people would be able to communicate with other civilizations without any problems. And we would be able to study galaxies that formed shortly after the big bang. However, the days would be longer because we would be able to see the sun 8 minutes before.
- #2
Dr.Brain
- 538
- 2
Then we would have not used the term " from place A to place B" , because everything would be instantaneous, a phenomena at one place could be seen simultaneously by different observers.
The amount of Gravitational field at one place would remain same due to a particular source , The Earth would rotate in the same exact orbit as before but the light from sun would not take more than 8 minutes to reach us but it would be an instantaneous process and the change in gravitational field around us would be instantaneous , there would be rapid change in fields around us .
If the sun would have lost itself somewhere , the gravitational attraction due to sun would dimnish immediately, the same instant the sun loses itself , the same instant we would lose the orbit .
Ofcourse the days would be longer , we would be able to spot the sun 8 minutes before, and maybe a bit more earlier.
Special Relativity would not have been important at all , the 'cause' and 'effect' would take place simultaneously.Travelling at speed of light would not have been controversial ,
SETI people would feel a sigh of relief , as sending mesages to other civilations would not have been that difficult , the limitations of radiowave-instruments as a message transfer device would not have been a problem.
The amount of Gravitational field at one place would remain same due to a particular source , The Earth would rotate in the same exact orbit as before but the light from sun would not take more than 8 minutes to reach us but it would be an instantaneous process and the change in gravitational field around us would be instantaneous , there would be rapid change in fields around us .
If the sun would have lost itself somewhere , the gravitational attraction due to sun would dimnish immediately, the same instant the sun loses itself , the same instant we would lose the orbit .
Ofcourse the days would be longer , we would be able to spot the sun 8 minutes before, and maybe a bit more earlier.
Special Relativity would not have been important at all , the 'cause' and 'effect' would take place simultaneously.Travelling at speed of light would not have been controversial ,
SETI people would feel a sigh of relief , as sending mesages to other civilations would not have been that difficult , the limitations of radiowave-instruments as a message transfer device would not have been a problem.
- #3
tony873004
Science Advisor
Gold Member
- 1,752
- 143
We wouldn't be able to study galaxies that formed shortly after the big bang. More galaxies would look like the Milky Way. We wouldn't have a clue as to the age of the universe. And when you talked on the phone to people overseas, that annoying 1/4 - 1/2 second lag would be gone.
- #4
turbo
Gold Member
- 3,165
- 56
You might want to think this one through a bit.Dr.Brain said:
- #5
Phobos
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
- 1,957
- 7
Loren Booda said:
If the universe is infinite, then the night sky would be as bright as the surface of the sun.
We would have no knowledge of the past history of the universe.
1. What is the concept of instantaneous light?
The concept of instantaneous light refers to the idea that light travels at an infinite speed, meaning that it reaches its destination immediately without any time delay.
2. How is the speed of light determined if it were instantaneous?
If light were instantaneous, its speed would be infinite and therefore impossible to measure. However, in reality, the speed of light is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second.
3. What would be the implications of instantaneous light?
If light were instantaneous, it would change our understanding of the fundamental laws of physics and have significant implications for fields such as astronomy and telecommunications.
4. Is there any evidence to suggest that light could be instantaneous?
There is no scientific evidence to suggest that light is instantaneous. In fact, numerous experiments and observations have confirmed that light has a finite speed.
5. How does the finite speed of light affect our daily lives?
The finite speed of light affects our daily lives in several ways, such as the time it takes for our devices to communicate with each other, the speed of internet connections, and the accuracy of GPS systems.
Similar threads
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics