Can Tachyons Travel Faster Than the Speed of Light and Alter the Future?

In summary: But it was just an error. In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of tachyons and the potential paradox of them being faster than light and traveling backwards in time. The question is posed as to whether tachyons have been observed empirically, but it is stated that there is no evidence of this.
  • #1
PhysicsFan11
35
1
I had read about tachycons being faster than the speed of light and which are theoretical in that I think they have not been demonstrated empirically.
Ok and also if they were real it brings up the paradox of essentially these particles traveling backwards in time. Such that and it sounds science fiction -esque, but some one (or yourself) could use a Tachyon phone and call you from the future...but alas, if you then knew about the future, you change it and such the paradox would exist.
 
Science news on Phys.org
  • #2
Do you have a question? And are you sure that you want an answer using doctoral-level math?
 
  • #3
Good point- this really is a more general question and I should have posed it to any and all. So the question would be if the concept of Tachyons has actually manifested in the realm of empiric data?
 
  • #4
PhysicsFan11 said:
Good point- this really is a more general question and I should have posed it to any and all.
OK, I have updated the category.
PhysicsFan11 said:
So the question would be if the concept of Tachyons has actually manifested in the realm of empiric data?
No. A couple of years ago there was a loose cable in a neutrino experiment that made it look like they were observing tachyons.
 

1. Can tachyons travel faster than the speed of light?

According to current scientific understanding, tachyons cannot travel faster than the speed of light. This is due to the principles of special relativity, which state that the speed of light is the maximum speed at which any physical object can travel.

2. What are tachyons?

Tachyons are hypothetical particles that are believed to travel faster than the speed of light. They were first proposed by physicist Gerald Feinberg in 1967 and have been studied extensively in theoretical physics, but there is currently no experimental evidence for their existence.

3. Can tachyons alter the future?

There is no evidence to suggest that tachyons can alter the future. While they are often portrayed as being able to travel through time, this is purely speculative and not supported by scientific research. Additionally, the idea of altering the future goes against the principles of causality, which state that the cause of an event must come before the effect.

4. How would the existence of tachyons affect our understanding of physics?

If tachyons were proven to exist and could travel faster than the speed of light, it would challenge our current understanding of physics. It would require a reevaluation of the principles of special relativity and could potentially lead to new theories about the nature of space and time.

5. How are tachyons relevant to time travel?

Tachyons are often associated with time travel because of their theoretical ability to travel faster than the speed of light. However, there is currently no scientific evidence or understanding of how this would actually work. Time travel remains a topic of speculation and is not currently possible according to our current understanding of physics.

Similar threads

I What travels faster: visible light in water or X-rays in liquid mercury?
    • Optics
Replies
6
Views
604
Can Light Travel Faster Than the Speed of Light in Glass?
    • Optics
Replies
18
Views
1K
Nothing can travel faster than the speed of light
    • Optics
Replies
13
Views
2K
Speed of the outside of a wheel faster than the speed of light
    • Optics
Replies
12
Views
2K
B Time Travel: Can Humans Go Faster Than Ordinary Speed?
    • Special and General Relativity
Replies
9
Views
1K
B Unraveling the Tachyon and Photon Debate: Exploring Faster-Than-Light Particles
    • Other Physics Topics
Replies
7
Views
2K
Faster than light: Instantaneous lever
    • Optics
Replies
14
Views
2K
Faster than the speed of light (pulling on a string)?
    • Optics
Replies
4
Views
1K
Faster than light communication
    • Optics
Replies
6
Views
1K
B Faster Than Light Travel: Exploring the Possibilities of Spacetime Curvature
    • Special and General Relativity
Replies
10
Views
1K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top