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If light is the fastest thing we know of and electricity just marginally slower,isn't it then more feasible that there are faster things~

~ yet undiscovered that could travel much much faster than the speed of light 

Posted - April 6, 2020
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Responses


  • 44649
    Electricity through a wire is much slower than light. With our present physics, the special theory of relativity say no...nothing travels faster than the speed of light. But the special theory is just that...a theory, not a law. It is possible that some time in the future we will develop new theories that will be able to devise methods to go faster.
      April 6, 2020 5:40 PM MDT
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  • 14795
    What a about when there is a flash sale on in my favorite shoe shop......I can react like  lightning then and get there in a flash....:) 
      April 7, 2020 6:26 AM MDT
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  • 44649
    Actually, I forgot about Chuck Norris. He's so fast he can get to his destination before he leaves.
      April 7, 2020 11:35 AM MDT
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  • 14795
    I'm the complete reverse of that...I leave and get nowhere fast ,it's a blonde trait that has no anti dote :(
      April 7, 2020 4:40 PM MDT
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  • 5391

    As we currently understand physics, nothing with physical mass can be accelerated to light speed due to the need for (theoretically) infinite power to achieve that velocity. Essentially, whatever engine that could supply the necessary power would be too massive to push that fast. 

    Light photons uniquely overcome this limitation by having no mass. Is there anything else we know of in the universe that has no mass and moves from one point to another?

    Food for discussion

      April 6, 2020 9:34 PM MDT
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  • 14795
    Some might say only a true natural blondes brain come close to what you say.......it defiantly not for eating as I'm still trying to get use to use ing it fully....:(  
    I don't think I can excuse my  faux pas I'm my reply........but like the speed of light.....it's almost impossible to turn off when it set in motion...:) 
      April 7, 2020 6:23 AM MDT
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  • 44649
    Neutrinos.
      April 7, 2020 11:36 AM MDT
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  • 5391
    Right. Can even penetrate rock. 
      April 7, 2020 12:06 PM MDT
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  • 44649
    But not Chuck Norris.
      April 7, 2020 4:43 PM MDT
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  • 4624
    How dearly I'd love to be able to answer this question intelligently, but I don't have sufficient knowledge of physics.

    I've heard that the speed of light can be slowed by things like bending as it passes through plasma.
    Light slows when refracted or bent by the atmosphere and water.
    It can be reflected by or absorbed into various substances.
    But I've never heard of any condition that could allow it to travel faster.

    I like both Ele's and Barzini's answers. As usual, they are concise and accurate.
      April 6, 2020 11:42 PM MDT
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  • 14795
    I watched a science program on tv and I've seen the same show twice ....how to explain it I just can't say , but it was about some thing that can travel any distant instantly Possibly it was Brian Cox in one of his amazing  time lectures....
    Bounce light between oppersit mirrors and it increases the distance and slows time....Einstein first discovered it... 
      April 7, 2020 6:14 AM MDT
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  • 4624
    I love brian Cox's shows.
    I'll look out for that one.
    Thank you! :)
      April 7, 2020 7:14 AM MDT
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  • 44649
    I sounds like you know quite a bit more than the average person. My wife wouldn't have a clue, but she can read me like a book.
      April 7, 2020 4:44 PM MDT
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  • 4624
    I pondered the question for a while and came up with some pretty mad thought... like this.

    Accepting the premise that matter, space and time are inseparable,

    and the premise that despite having no mass, light can be slowed, bent, reflected, absorbed or blocked by various states of matter,

    then perhaps,
    when light reaches the limits of time, space and matter, perhaps it could travel faster.

    The question then would be, would light still be visible if it had no matter (in any form) to illuminate? This post was edited by inky at April 7, 2020 10:57 PM MDT
      April 7, 2020 10:56 PM MDT
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