The discussion revolves around the question of how long and what distance it would take for a spaceship with a hypothetical propellant-less engine to accelerate to near light speed and subsequently decelerate back to zero. The scope includes theoretical considerations of acceleration and deceleration in the context of special relativity.
Participants express differing views on the feasibility of acceleration and deceleration to near light speed, with some asserting it is theoretically infinite while others emphasize the dependence on specific parameters. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives.
There are limitations regarding the assumptions made about the nature of the hypothetical engine and the definitions of acceleration and near light speed, which are not fully explored in the discussion.
!It very strongly depends on how near is "near light speed". In addition how large is the acceleration - usually it is limited by mechanical or human constraints - without a limit you can get to near light speed in a very short time.mileymo said:
I found this graph on Wikipedia which might be what you're looking for:mileymo said: