Travelling at the speed of light

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the theoretical implications and challenges of traveling at the speed of light, particularly focusing on the operational aspects of a hypothetical spaceship capable of such travel. Participants explore concepts related to relativity, mass, and the Higgs Field, while questioning the feasibility of controlling a spacecraft at light speed.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant proposes a thought experiment about a spaceship traveling at light speed and questions how to establish a course without crashing into a destination.
  • Another participant challenges the feasibility of instantaneously reaching light speed and suggests that the theory lacks several critical points.
  • A participant clarifies that their inquiry is not about survival but rather about the possibility of stopping an object moving at light speed without collision.
  • One participant states that relativity prohibits objects with mass from traveling at the speed of light, implying that the question cannot be answered within current understanding.
  • Another participant humorously remarks on the engineering challenge of constructing a ship with zero mass.
  • A hypothesis is presented regarding the Higgs Field and the potential to neutralize its effects to allow an object to reach light speed, although the theoretical basis for this remains uncertain.
  • A follow-up comment questions the practicality of reactivating mass to decelerate after achieving light speed, emphasizing the implications of time and distance at such speeds.
  • One participant expresses uncertainty about the implications of reaching light speed and the possibility of switching mass back on to decelerate.
  • A final post indicates that speculation of this nature is not permitted in the forum, leading to the thread being locked.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion features multiple competing views and remains unresolved, particularly regarding the feasibility of traveling at light speed and the implications of mass and the Higgs Field.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the theoretical aspects of mass and the Higgs Field, as well as the implications of relativity on the discussion of light-speed travel.

Brunolem33
Messages
66
Reaction score
0
I don't know if this kind of thought experiment is authorized here, but let's give it a try.

Let's assume that we had managed to build a spaceship able to travel at the speed of light.

Since relativity forbids to accelerate until reaching such speed, the spaceship would have to reach it instantaneously, like a photon.

But this is not the issue.

The issue is: how could we operate such a spaceship?

And I am not talking about levers and joysticks, but about establishing a course and reaching a destination safely.

Because it seems to me that if such a spaceship was pointed towards, say, Mars, it would be impossible to reach this planet without crashing on its surface like a bug hitting a windshield.

In other words, there would be no way to control the distance travelled.

The conclusion being that the ability to travel at light speed would be useless.
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
The same procedure to gain instantaneously c and survive it, which is simply not possible, will allow you to lose the speed in reverse order. So your theory lacks at three points.
 
I don't have a theory, just a question, and the issue is not about the survival of someone inside...one could assume that it would be entirely robotic.

The question is: is it possible for an object moving at light speed to stop in any way other than hitting another object at full speed?
 
Since relativity forbids objects with mass from traveling at c, we can't answer your question.
 
Constructing a ship with zero mass would certainly make you a legend in the history of engineering.
 
If, as it seems, mass is not a property of the particles, but is somehow the result of these particles interfering with a so-called Higgs Field, one could find a way to temporarily neutralize the effects of this field, thus freeing an object from its mass and instantly propelling it at light speed.

Now, I don't know if it has been proven, at least theoretically, whether the Higgs Field can or cannot be neutralized.
 
Brunolem33 said:
Now, I don't know if it has been proven, at least theoretically, whether the Higgs Field can or cannot be neutralized.
Not that we know of. But if you can switch it off, what prevents you from turning it on again to stop?
 
Well, that's the problem...what would prevent me, or anyone else, to switch it back on would be a lack of...time!

Because, as far as I understand the underlying physics, once propelled the speed of light, the distance between the object and its destination would be reduced to zero and time would stand still.

In other words, the object would reach its destination in no time, leaving no possibility to switch its mass back on and let it decelerate.

Or am I totally wrong?
 
I'm sorry but we don't allow speculation of this nature here at PF. Thread locked.
 

Similar threads

Undergrad Cosmological Positioning - How does one determine?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
High School Confused about traveling at the speed of light
  • · Replies 26 ·
Replies
26
Views
5K
High School Energy, Mass, Speed of Light: Can We Reach It?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
Undergrad Is the concept of a one-way speed of light meaningful and measurable?
  • · Replies 25 ·
Replies
25
Views
5K
Undergrad A question about the speed of light and electromagnetism
  • · Replies 51 ·
2
Replies
51
Views
5K
Undergrad Effects of time dilation for near-speed-of-light travel
  • · Replies 65 ·
3
Replies
65
Views
13K
Undergrad What Happens to Laser Light Inside a Spaceship Traveling at Light Speed?
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
3K
Undergrad Perceived Speed of Objects in Space
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
High School Prove the velocity of a moving object is absolute in one IRF?
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
2K
High School Why does it require an infinite amount of energy to reach the speed of light?
  • · Replies 130 ·
5
Replies
130
Views
16K