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From: stekas@hou2g.UUCP (J.STEKAS)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Re: "speed of light" puzzle
Message-ID: <471@hou2g.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 20-May-85 09:30:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: hou2g.471
Posted: Mon May 20 09:30:50 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 21-May-85 07:16:42 EDT
References: <1720@ut-ngp.UUCP> <578@lll-crg.ARPA>, <136@heurikon.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 13

> Consider the point of intersection of the blades of a scissors.
> Picture a BIG scissors -  mile long blades.  As you close the
> scissors, the point of intersection could move faster than the
> speed of light even though the blades are moving "slowly".

This isn't true.  The blades of the scissors are held together
by E&M forces between the atoms.  When the handle is squeezed,
the E&M force won't be transmitted to the far end of the blades
any faster than C.  The result is that the blades will "bend".
The point of intersection of the blades will propigate no faster
the "bend" - the speed of light.

					Jim