Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mit-eddie.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!think!mit-eddie!barmar From: barmar@mit-eddie.UUCP (Barry Margolin) Newsgroups: net.startrek Subject: Re: A new topic to ponder (I PROMISE!)... Message-ID: <4888@mit-eddie.UUCP> Date: Wed, 7-Aug-85 01:07:18 EDT Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.4888 Posted: Wed Aug 7 01:07:18 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 10-Aug-85 23:04:35 EDT References: <255@ncr-tp.UUCP> Reply-To: barmar@mit-eddie.UUCP (Barry Margolin) Distribution: net Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA Lines: 22 In article <255@ncr-tp.UUCP> laman@ncr-tp.UUCP (Mike Laman) writes: >I propose that when the Enterprise zips by faster than the speed of light, >the we should NOT be able to see it from behind since the light "particles" >coming from behind it would not be able to catch up to it, bounce off, and >come back for use to "see" them. I think this is only partly correct. True, the photons coming from directly behind the ship won't hit it. However, photons from other directions will reflect off the ship. Consider the analogy with a fast-moving car and a bicycle. The bicycle is unlikely to rear-end the car, but it can easily run into it from the side. In this case, the bicycle is likely to bounce off to the side, but light tends to disperse in many directions when hitting a textured surface. So, the ship might look a little dim, but it should still be quite visible. -- Barry Margolin ARPA: barmar@MIT-Multics UUCP: ..!genrad!mit-eddie!barmar