Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

To: Victory111
Dude has a very poor understanding of physics.

Since time decreases in equal and direct proportion to the speed of light it would take only 8 years to reach the closest star (Alpha Centauri) but on return the earth would be over 400,000 years older than when we left.

Time slows as one approaches the speed of light. Traveling at the speed of light it would take a lot less than eight years to make this roundtrip from the perspective of the traveler. Don't have the math at hand.

But from the perspective of someone here on earth it would be eight years, not 400,000. Same time it would take to send a radio signal to AC and get a reply.

It is highly unlikely anybody will ever approach the speed of light. Too many issues. Hopes for faster than light speed involve "folding" space by getting a better understanding of what advanced physics thinks may be up to 12 dimensions, only three (or four, counting time) of which we can presently detect. If such ever becomes possible, we may be able to travel between planets, stars and even galaxies in no time at all.

6 posted on 01/07/2009 10:08:22 AM PST by Sherman Logan (Everyone has a right to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: Sherman Logan

Plus, Number 9 is so laughable that any response to enlighten the author is a waste of time.


8 posted on 01/07/2009 10:15:48 AM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (Ronald Reagan had a vision of America. Barack Obama has a vision of Barack Obama.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson