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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!vortex!lauren
From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Speed of light problem
Message-ID: <124@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 31-Aug-83 06:23:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: vortex.124
Posted: Wed Aug 31 06:23:18 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 2-Sep-83 03:26:21 EDT
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 24

Greetings.  An acquaintance of mine called me up with a question
regarding the speed of light and information transfer.  While
I realize that his proposal couldn't work, I am not a
physicist and I can't get him to believe me.  Can someone
out there send me a clear explanation of the physics involved in
this problem that he *might* be willing to accept?

The problem: transmitting information faster than the speed of light.

His idea is as follows.  Assume the existence of an extremely thin but
very strong and non-elastic straight taut wire one light year in length 
in a vacuum.  Person A is holding one end of this wire (don't worry about 
the vacuum!) and person B is holding the other end.  Now, person A tugs 
his end of the wire 0.5 inches toward himself.  The question is, why 
wouldn't person B feel the tug almost instantaneously, thusly resulting 
in an information transfer *much* faster than the speed of light?

I've tried to explain this in several ways, but apparently I'm not
very convincing on this topic.  Would any of you care to take a stab at 
this guy?  I'll forward any responses onward to him.  Please reply by mail;
I am not in this newsgroup.  Thanks much.

--Lauren--
{decvax,ihnp4,harpo,allegra,ucbvax!lbl-csam,randvax}!vortex!lauren