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Question
Why is the speed of light considered to be the universal speed limit, and would it be possible to ever exceed that speed with some advanced technology?
Asked by: Nakul Jeirath
Answer
Experiments performed against Relativity predictions
have all supported Einstein's conclusions about the
behavior of matter as it approaches the speed of light.
Particle accelerators allow direct observation of
extremely high velocities of very small masses, and have
confirmed to high degrees of accuracy that mass increases
as objects travel near the speed of light.
Unless an experiment one day disagrees with and
overturns the Theory of Relativity,
it must be concluded that no acceleration in the normal
sense, regardless of power source, can overcome the
mass increase that demands and infinite force to just
reach the speed of light, let alone exceed it.
Modern Physics can only postulate travelling from point A
to point B in less time than a light beam via non-conventional
'bending' of space itself via black hole-like distortion
of space. Even if that technology could be realized in
the distant future, one could argue that it would not
represent 'speed' in the sense of travelling THROUGH
space at greater than light speed.
Answered by: Paul Walorski, B.A. Physics, Part-time Physics Instructor
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