OFF: Speed of Light

[Christian Mumford]

M Holmes wrote:
>
> Don't Hawkwind have a track called that?
>
> Is being on-topic OK if the thread is marked OFF?
>
> Christian Mumford writes:
>
> > > >If you drive your car at the speed of light, and then turn on
> > > your lights, would they do any good? >
> >
> > No.
>
> Ummmm, isn't it a principle of Special Relativity that the Speed of
> Light is constants *whatever* speed you're travelling at? Remember
> Michelson and Morley.
>
> As far as the driver was concerned, the headlights would be working as
> normal. As far as any pedestrian in front was concerned, they'd be fried
> by hard x-rays just before being in the mother of all hit & run's.
>
> Of course the car couldn't *quite* reach the speed of light. That'd be
> illegal (*)
>

Of course, and with a very good reason -  the headlights wouldn't be
working because nobody could control a car driving down a street and
would cause the car to crash and damage lots of property, killing the
driver and busting the headlights.

Christian (no rocket scientist)