mwg@petrus.UUCP (06/18/85)
++ The problem with the meeting point of the scissors' blade moving faster than the speed of light is similar to shining a spotlight across the clouds and seeing the spot move faster than c. This is quite possible, but conveys no information along the path of the beam. (From the light to the cloud yes, but not from cloud to cloud.) Assuming the earth to be about 24,000 miles in circumference, and clouds to be a mile up (corrections to /dev/null), the spot attains an average speed of c when one moves it from horizon to horizon in 470 usecs. This means the lens of a spotlight with a 2 foot pivoting radius moves at a speed of 8800 MPH. Difficult, perhaps, but by no means relativistic.