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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!jcp
From: jcp@brl-tgr.ARPA (Joe Pistritto <jcp>)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Speed of light
Message-ID: <10554@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 9-May-85 16:53:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.10554
Posted: Thu May  9 16:53:07 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 11-May-85 08:29:20 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: Ballistic Research Lab
Lines: 18


	The effect your forgetting in the two lasers in space problem
is known as the Lorentz transformation.  Basically, the velocities don't
add linearly because TIME is lengthened by an amount which is related to
one over the square root of the quantity (1 - v/c).  You will note that
as v (velocity) approaches c (the speed of light), the quantity approaches
zero, so the fraction approaches infinity.  This gives the effective
slowing of time as c is approached.  This also has the effect of reducing
velocity (velocity is defined as distance over time...).  Since the
fraction is asymptotic as v approaches c, you are guaranteed never
to exceed c.  (The physics types call this 'an important theoretical
result', meaning if you prove it wrong, you get a Nobel Prize, no questions
asked!)

							-JCP-

PS: Lorentz already got his prize, but they don't take them back if your
theory is proved wrong, so don't let that hold you back...