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People think that the speed of light would equal "infinite" speed. But I believe that they are mistaken. Technically, infinite speed would mean you would occupy every point in space and time simultaneously. Is this theory sound?

Not so much of a question as an idea, really.

asked Mar 23 '11 at 01:06

chadt4's gravatar image

chadt4
12.5k99157257


The speed of light is a finite speed. Therefore it is not an infinite speed. What exactly is confusing about this?

If light takes 2.5 seconds to reach the moon from earth, then we have its speed. But if something could cover this distance in exactly 0 seconds, then it would be infinite. Or would it? The number 0 is still a finite number, so I believe that an infinite speed is an impossibility, as far as we understand at this moment in time.

Maybe some form of Teleportation would be instant, but as far as we know it is impossible to dematerialize in one place and instantly materialize in another. Even if we made a machine that could reconstruct us after disassembly, would it still not need to send the information to another place and thus would be bound by the speed of light?

answered Mar 23 '11 at 03:11

Zlpha's gravatar image

Zlpha
4.6k5278128

edited Mar 29 '11 at 01:57

In 0 second's, you will only teleport.

(Mar 23 '11 at 07:56) Yogi Yogi's gravatar image

in theory, even teleportation would take at least a second. So that would be a fail. Even teleportation would take time to move an object from A to B.

(Mar 24 '11 at 06:27) Geenome Geenome's gravatar image

Then what else would be traveled in 0 second's?

(Mar 24 '11 at 08:50) Yogi Yogi's gravatar image

Thoughts? We believe that thoughts are instant. So, if we believe thoughts travel, then, well thoughts.

(Mar 25 '11 at 09:51) kavungal kavungal's gravatar image

I'm pretty sure thoughts can only travel as fast as the electrical impulses in our brain can travel, which is quite slow compared to the speed of light, as thoughts are biological processes

(Mar 29 '11 at 01:54) Zlpha Zlpha's gravatar image

Any theory can be argued as "sound" and yet it is still a theory until it is tested and joins the laws of physics. The speed of light is a finite speed, thus does not meet the definition of infinite velocity.

answered Mar 23 '11 at 01:18

Duodave's gravatar image

Duodave
4.6k404998

it is impossible for a single object or atom to be in 2 places at 1 time.

But there is a good chance that there may be things that are faster than light, we just may not have detected it yet.

answered Mar 23 '11 at 03:54

Razor512's gravatar image

Razor512
15.6k3480242

It's impossible. If something moves it's speed can be calculated and measured. To be infinite means it would be unmeasurable.

answered Mar 23 '11 at 10:19

Mattophobia's gravatar image

Mattophobia ♦♦
7.0k73122206

You've been watching too much ST:VOY. Their theories on Warp 10 are clarly flawed. Instead, go with the ST:TNG Warp 10 theory, in which you merely travel faster.

answered Mar 23 '11 at 14:19

tsilb's gravatar image

tsilb
21.0k65199333

As stated earlier, the speed of light is a defined number: 300 million metres per second (give or take a few significant figures).

However that is not the flaw in your question. "Infinite" is something with no boundary/limit. In terms of numbers it is a number which can never be reached, i.e. it is always bigger than any number we can come up with. In terms of "Infinite Velocity" this would mean a velocity which has no maximum (permanently in positive acceleration).

At present we know of nothing which can achieve this. Even if we did, we do not know if the space our universe occupies is infinite. If it is there is no set number of "points" to be occupied.

I hope this has given you some more insight :)

answered Mar 24 '11 at 18:00

jwonno's gravatar image

jwonno
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Asked: Mar 23 '11 at 01:06

Seen: 2,672 times

Last updated: Mar 29 '11 at 01:57