OFF: Speed of Light

M Holmes fofp at TATTOO.ED.AC.UK
Fri Jul 19 15:02:58 EDT 1996


Christian Mumford writes:

> 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.

Not if he had ABS brakes.

FoFP



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