Achieving light speed?

A thought just popped into my head a few moments ago that i would like to share and see what we can come up with as far as theoretical possibilities are concerned.

Could it be possible to Vibrate a physical object fast enough in a chosen direction in order to achieve the same effect as using thrust to propel an object at light speed?

Let me ask you a question. "If you are in a spaceship that is traveling at the speed of light, and you turn on the headlights, does anything happen ?"

Originally posted by TechVampyre
Let me ask you a question. "If you are in a spaceship that is traveling at the speed of light, and you turn on the headlights, does anything happen ?"

Let me attempt an answer to your question. The Headlights turn on As they are traveling at the same speed you are going, but i would doubt you would even need them as you would be traveling relative to the speed of light, so there would be light all around you.

Let me ask the pair of you. Are you bored ?

reply to post by Deafseeingeyedog

As an object approaches light speed, it gains mass. According to relativity, if it ever achieved light speed it would achieve infinite mass, and thus you would need infinite energy to even move the object. That's a big problem for us ever achieving light speed. One would have to find a work around to the laws of nature. Never mind that an object of infinite mass would have a very bad effect on everything else in the universe. You'd try to leave one star system, but instead wind up dragging the whole thing along behind you and probably killing everyone who lived there in the process.

To answer your question, I think vibration in a back and forth fashion will produce a net acceleration of 0 and vibration in a circle is limited to the speed of light along the relative straightline within the circle.


We should probably focus more on moving the space around us rather than moving ourselves across space.

Originally posted by Deafseeingeyedog

Could it be possible to Vibrate a physical object fast enough in a chosen direction in order to achieve the same effect as using thrust to propel an object at light speed?

No. Vibration is no different than linear acceleration. The maximum velocity can never reach the speed of light.
And there are other considerations, as well... such as the fact that, long before it reaches the speed of light, the thing you're vibrating will likely break free of whatever interaction you're using to vibrate it.

Originally posted by TechVampyre

If you are in a spaceship that is traveling at the speed of light, and you turn on the headlights, does anything happen?

According to you, inside the spaceship, the light from the headlights will travel ahead of you at the speed of light, just as they normally do.
According to an observer outside the spaceship and at rest relative to it, the spaceship will keep up with the light from its headlights.

reply to post by Deafseeingeyedog


i say forget light speed!


givin the size of just the observable universe i would say its way to slow to get to the "edges " of the universe


best way is rip a hole through w/e space is , and cheat our way there .... beat light to it !


we humans have laerned to "hack" our way through many obstacles in our history ..


its only a matter of time before we "crack" or " hack" this "cosmic speed limit bs"




as for the vibrating string , yea i agree with above comments not enough energy to vibrate it that fast

reply to post by TechVampyre



Well no one really knows what would happen if you reached the full speed of light. But this answers your question for at 99% the speed of light:

Originally posted by rogerstigers
To answer your question, I think vibration in a back and forth fashion will produce a net acceleration of 0 and vibration in a circle is limited to the speed of light along the relative straightline within the circle.


We should probably focus more on moving the space around us rather than moving ourselves across space.

A net acceleration of 0 would be good as it would prevent G forces From affecting the physical object.


Moving Space around us is exactly what im talking about. Re read my original post.

I'll offer an analogy, Imagine an open book on a table, This book represents space. Now imagine a device that would turn the page for you. Now consider the action of turning the page to be vibrating at light speed. To navigate anywhere within the book(space) you must first chose an initial direction. Then 0 acceleration would occur during the actual vibration process. ie: you are turning the page, traveling through the book(space) even though the book itself isnt actually going anywhere. Now here is how you achieve the desired location, simply multiply the distance covered by light by the number of cycles desired for a chosen distance. But the key here is that in order to achieve travel, you must stop vibrating at the same half(direction) of the cycle that you initially chose. 0 acceleration + 1 extra light vibration = distance covered.

reply to post by Deafseeingeyedog


Vibration means to mechanically oscillate around an equillibrium point.

In order to have a net acceleration of 0, you have to net out one half of the oscillation with the other half. If you stop halfway, you do not have a net acceleration of 0.

As for your analogy about pages, I apologize, but I cannot seem to make the visual work. My concept of moving space is similar to someone dragging a rug while you are standing on it. Relative to the rug, you are not moving, but the rug is moving you relative to the rest of the room.

yes i do that when i am realy scared and can float in place or fly as it wer very strange reaction to fear for any object it would take a very well programed device and a berger

Originally posted by rogerstigers
reply to post by Deafseeingeyedog

 

Vibration means to mechanically oscillate around an equillibrium point.

In order to have a net acceleration of 0, you have to net out one half of the oscillation with the other half. If you stop halfway, you do not have a net acceleration of 0.

As for your analogy about pages, I apologize, but I cannot seem to make the visual work. My concept of moving space is similar to someone dragging a rug while you are standing on it. Relative to the rug, you are not moving, but the rug is moving you relative to the rest of the room.

Ok then imagine a caterpillar turning the pages, you know, how they scrunch up then stretch out. the difference being the caterpillar doesnt move the book, it just makes progress within the book.

Originally posted by LifeInDeath
reply to post by Deafseeingeyedog

 

As an object approaches light speed, it gains mass. According to relativity, if it ever achieved light speed it would achieve infinite mass, and thus you would need infinite energy to even move the object. That's a big problem for us ever achieving light speed. One would have to find a work around to the laws of nature. Never mind that an object of infinite mass would have a very bad effect on everything else in the universe. You'd try to leave one star system, but instead wind up dragging the whole thing along behind you and probably killing everyone who lived there in the process.

Just a thought here... pure speculation... maybe black holes are the remnants of civilizations who attempted and succeeded in traveling at light speed?

Originally posted by Deafseeingeyedog
A thought just popped into my head a few moments ago that i would like to share and see what we can come up with as far as theoretical possibilities are concerned.

Could it be possible to Vibrate a physical object fast enough in a chosen direction in order to achieve the same effect as using thrust to propel an object at light speed?

what do you mean vibrate it.

Your phone only moves accross a desk when it vibrates because it has tration/friction from gravity pressing it againt the desk.

Originally posted by Deafseeingeyedog
A thought just popped into my head a few moments ago that i would like to share and see what we can come up with as far as theoretical possibilities are concerned.

Could it be possible to Vibrate a physical object fast enough in a chosen direction in order to achieve the same effect as using thrust to propel an object at light speed?

As achieveing light speed is still theoretically impossible with our current level of technology" accelerating something in one direction to light speed.decelerating it to a stop: and accelerating it in the opposite direction(a "vibration" or oscillation") repeat as necessary; is exponentially more so "impossible".

maybe mass is rellivant too

If you hit somthing it gets mashed to bits wiht your perceved infinate mass, but you weight normal amount and move in real time and laugh while wiping the moon goo off your window at your destination.

Thats sounds way better

Even if vibration could get you to travel in a practical manner, the material vibrated has got to be able to withstand it. The ammount of vibration it would take to get to enough speed to be a viable mode of transportation could shatter the vessel.

Originally posted by CynicalDrivel
Even if vibration could get you to travel in a practical manner, the material vibrated has got to be able to withstand it. The ammount of vibration it would take to get to enough speed to be a viable mode of transportation could shatter the vessel.

what does vibration havce to do with moving in space, am i missing somthing here.

You either need to use a "carrot on a rope" method of projecting gravity wells, making a worm hole to your destination somhow, usuing plain old gradual long trip accelleration, timed syncronised nucluer detetonations and deflector, simple solar kiting with ion thrusters or just vanilla "throw stuff out the back fast" rocket powa.

you cant "grab space" and hurl yourself forward like a leg or wheel works on earth.

However since theres nothing slowing you in space, all you need is some sort of accelleration and you will go faster. period.

So combine a rocket powered, passive ion thruster solar sail, with the combined powerer of a deflector plate and nuclear explosion accellerator (once a few 100km/s was reached) and you could get up some good speed after a few months. stoping though... welllllll i left my notes in my other pants.

Originally posted by obzerver
yes i do that when i am realy scared and can float in place or fly as it wer very strange reaction to fear for any object it would take a very well programed device and a berger

Your name suggests you indeed!

?

Everyone thinks the speed of light is the limit to break, but if it is ever achieved and we learn to use it, we will assuredly learn of yet another barrier to overcome... perhaps that will be time?

We'll become extinct before we reach the speed of light, so it's all academic anyway..