Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83 (MC840302); site mcvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!seismo!mcvax!fons From: fons@mcvax.UUCP (Fons Kuijk) Newsgroups: net.physics Subject: Re: Question on FTL and quantum mechanics Message-ID: <6201@mcvax.UUCP> Date: Tue, 27-Nov-84 19:51:01 EST Article-I.D.: mcvax.6201 Posted: Tue Nov 27 19:51:01 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 29-Nov-84 03:14:03 EST References: <654@ames.UUCP> Reply-To: fons@mcvax.UUCP (Fons Kuijk) Distribution: net Organization: CWI, Amsterdam Lines: 37 Summary: In article <654@ames.UUCP> barry@ames.UUCP (Kenn Barry) writes: > Some of the responses to the recent request for an explanation >of the impossibility of FTL have pointed out that, while travel *at* >the speed of light is impossible, travel *faster* than light may not >be impossible (thus the hypothetical tachyon). > If this is the case, it is not clear to me that moving between >the two states (slower-than-light and faster-than-light speeds) is >necessarily impossible, either. Suppose velocity is itself not continuous, >but a quantized phenomena? I have heard it suggested that space and time >may be quantized; if this were so, then it would seem that velocity is >also necessarily quantized. If velocity *is* quantized, and velocity >changes occur in quantum increments, it seems that one could, indeed, >move from slower- to faster-than-light speeds without ever having traveled >at *exactly* the speed of light. No messy infinities in the equations. > Comments? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- How does one measure velocity? Velocity is length divided by time, both quantities that behave 'stange' under lorentz transformation (as does the mass). The things that are quantized are the invariant quantities such as impuls (=mass*velocity!) and energy. Increasing the impuls with one quantum in order to try to increase the velocity in the region of the speed of light does also increase the mass (remember?). The closer one gets to the speed of light the more impuls will contribute to the increase of mass. Also remember the rules one has to apply on adding speeds close to the SOL. Increasing the speed means adding a speed to it, but the result is less than the plain adition. The relativity theory indicates that space and time are not the physical entities they were thought to be, they are merely elements of a language we mortals use to describe our environment. --- No joke Fons Kuijk No graphics ...mcvax!fons No maxim [for insiders:-)]