This is really bothering me... (Physics)

[Rachel]

Science is not an absolute. We dont have the answers to everything and probably never will. However the scientist is inflexible and believes there must be a logical explanation for anything. Stating things like "You cant travel faster then the speed of light" is an example of this inflexibility. Maybe in our scientific world you cant but it certainly is a big universe and maybe some other beings can.

[Tread]

Originally Posted by TracyCoxx

True, but that's off the topic. The original thread was about "Thoughts on UFO's" and the answers we have are relevant to such things like, are aliens constrained by the speed of light? Can they use wormholes? Would using other dimensions allow them to get here any quicker? This thread was created because Breezy doubted what was being said.

Yes, but Breezy create a new thread about physics, and didn't post in "Thoughts on UFO's".
He said that worm holes are real. No one has ever proven that one exist. The most people in this thread say, that they are theoretically possible, and I want to add that is possible in our currently view of the universe. We know 95% only from indirect influences. Maybe in future we will see that laws of dark energy won't allow a worm hole, or maybe we can inflence the higgs field so that we can bend the space-time. Or if you want the aliens can now.

[TracyCoxx]

Originally Posted by Rachel

Science is not an absolute. We dont have the answers to everything and probably never will. However the scientist is inflexible and believes there must be a logical explanation for anything. Stating things like "You cant travel faster then the speed of light" is an example of this inflexibility. Maybe in our scientific world you cant but it certainly is a big universe and maybe some other beings can.

Originally Posted by Jenae LaTorque

"Nothings impossible, we just can't do it right now"

Originally Posted by NCC-1701

of course they are possible, but then again isnt anything possible?

Ok Jenae and NCC-1701, let's not get carried away. There are always some people who revel in what cannot be known, or what they perceive cannot be known. That allows them to hold on to whatever fairy tails their heart desires. But there are some things that are just not possible. Even given enough time Jenae. i.e.... you will never... ever... EVER... violate conservation of energy. EVER! That may seem trivial, but actually it puts huge constraints on what is possible and what isn't. Like going faster than the speed of light, for example.

When my daughter was 5 or 6 she said no one can be perfect. I said "what's 5+5?" She replied "10". I said "See? Your answer is absolutely perfect".

And Rachel, I agree that we will never know everything and most certainly never will. But there are things that we do know that are simply correct. And as soon as our species realized that we left the dark ages behind and became a technological civilization.

You're shooting the messenger when you say I'm being inflexible for saying no one can go faster than the speed of light. I am only relaying the physics to you. Am I being inflexible when I say 1+1 cannot equal 3? I think realistic is a better word. You could go faster than light only if your mass is imaginary (as in the square root of a negative number). I will not break etiquette by asking a woman her weight, so I will just assume you do not have imaginary mass.

[Rachel]

That is physics as we know it Tracy. However I do believe that in this vast universe there could be more intelligent beings then us. Maybe they have better science. When I say inflexible you show it. You believe in physics as an absolute.

[violet lightning]

A saw a good documentary last night on the orgins of the big bang and how different scientists theories competed for research funding and public favor.
One thing that I think pertains to recent discussion was this:
Sometimes a theory can be sound, but our technical ability to make measurements is limited. That is what changes over time. Our increasing ability to make more refined, more accurate and even hitherto impossible measurements.
Sometimes new data can further prove theories or complicate them or completely invalidate them if it conflicts with predicted outcomes.

Also, I seem to remember reading a while back that scientists had discovered particles or something previously unknown, that was traveling just ahead of light speed. Does that ring a bell with anyone?
I only mention it since the speed of light as the ultimate speed limit keeps being brought up. By all practical standards,(ie human space travel) it probably is, but that dosn't mean its the true absolute.

[Jenae LaTorque]

The particle you are talking about that travels faster than light is a tachyon which is only theoretical right now, just like wormholes.

[Tread]

The tachyon has got a imaginary mass. if it exists, it always have to be faster than the speed of light. It would be also invisible. I belief that they only exist hypothetical in math.
If they exist and you could use them to transport information, it would be possible to teleport matter faster then the speed of light. But that would contain huge problems. Teleportation works with Quantum mechanics. You need to have entangle Quantums on earth and where ever you want. You also need the technology at both places. And the original matter would get destroyed. That would be a huge risk.

The only ways to travel faster than light are:
to eliminate or reverse mass (impossible with normal matter).
find a shorter way than the light is traveling (but you are not faster than the speed of light)
or the easiest way breake the lightspeed. As far as I know the slowest lightspeed is about 61,2 km/hour, 38 miles/hour. (but that wouldn't help either)

[TracyCoxx]

Originally Posted by Rachel

That is physics as we know it Tracy.

Based on reality as we have observed. The same reality that any other alien race would observe as well.

Originally Posted by Rachel

However I do believe that in this vast universe there could be more intelligent beings then us. Maybe they have better science. When I say inflexible you show it. You believe in physics as an absolute.

I'm sure there is other life that's more intelligent than us. But I still doubt they can outdo the power of a gamma ray burst that's so powerful, it appears like it's a supernova in our galaxy, even though it's at the edge of the observable universe. Even that obeys the speed of light and other physics we're aware of.

The hypothetical more intelligent aliens may have figured out how to unify QM and relativity, but it still doesn't change the fact that you can't go faster than light.

And physics is an absolute. It works the same for everyone, anywhere in the universe.

Originally Posted by violet lightning

Also, I seem to remember reading a while back that scientists had discovered particles or something previously unknown, that was traveling just ahead of light speed. Does that ring a bell with anyone?

Is this what you're talking about?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/841690.stm

It still requires a medium for light to pass through to get this effect. There is no medium for aliens to travel through on the way to earth. Just mostly empty space.

[runround04]

My friend has a DeLoren that goes 88 mph... Just a little humor to ease the tension

[Rachel]

They used to say if man was meant to fly he would have been born with wings lol. And now look at us.