Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ukma!xanth!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!IUBACS.BITNET!HAYHURS From: HAYHURS@IUBACS.BITNET Newsgroups: sci.space Subject: approaching "C" Message-ID: Date: 30 Jan 89 17:22:00 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 65 Distribution-File: SPACE@ANDREW.CMU.EDU SPACE Digest Volume 9 : Issue 212 Today's Topics: Approaching c ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 24 Jan 89 09:28 EDT From: "That's not lake Minnetonka..." Subject: Approaching c > An object becomes more massive the faster it travels. > Since F=ma (Newton), an accelerating body requires more and more > force to keep accelerating it > At (near?) c, this force would become infinite, and thus, acceleration > past c is impossible > THEREFORE, c is the highest attainable speed by an accelerating body. > >Ok. One thing screams out to me, though. c is a finite number, being 3x10^8 m/s >which all of you know. Then, why would the force required to accelerate a >body past c be infinite if c isn't infinite? How can it be assumed that a >body will become infinitely massive at c if c itself is not infinite, UNLESS >one assumes, subtlely, that c already is the fastest attainable speed (that >is, c is in effect, infinite). > >Thanks for your time, and again, I apologize if this question is either very >simple, or has been beat to death in the past. I'ma new subscriber to this >list. > > >Damian Hammontree >System Programmer >Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (301) 327-2959 >DAMIAN@JHUIGF.BITNET >CALVIN@JHUIGF.BITNET > ------------------------------ Based on Damian's question, and being even "dumber" (or more ignorant on the subject), I'll propose something even more radical, but a notion that might be supported by his idea concerning "C"... If ou follow the course of development, the speed of sound was a barrier for a very long time; now we have broken the speed of sound. A lot of questions about doing that involed the effects of approaching that mark. The spped of sound was a barrier - you could fly up to it, break it, & cross over BUT NOT FLY AT IT. Who says that the speed of light is not similar? Okay, you Physicists, you can eat me alive on this one. +:') (i even put the crosshairs on my forehead for you.) - Steve Hayhurst, HAYHURS@IUBACS _________________________________________________________________________ | : Steve Hayhurst, Indiana Univ. : : "ET TU NVIRII?" said the MacIntosh : HAYHURS@IUBACS BITNET ADDRESS : : as it collasped into an endless loop :"I sent it, I guess that means : : : I have to take the blame." : :______________________________________:________________________________: