beres@cadnetix.COM (Tim Beres) (01/19/89)
In article PJS@GROUCH.JPL.NASA.GOV (Peter Scott) writes: >Let's change the title of this topic, please. I didn't see the original >posting, but any question that sparks this amount of discussion and >dare-I-say learning shouldn't be called stupid. Thanks. I started this topic and a summary might be in order. The original question: As an observer/space-traveller approached C what would the observed effects by the traveller (not by an observer in an inertial reference frame). Some answers: 1. You can't go that fast. [This consisted of one persons entire answer - I was truly effing illuminated. Well you may not be able to go exactly C, but you certainly can approach it - the problem being that a "stationary" observer can't witness this...but you, at ~C, certainly would] 2. Since the "mass approaches infinity" part of Einstein's Special Relativity really has to do with the accelerations necessary to move an object, not with its "intrinsic" mass, the observer at ~C would not notice a change in his/her/its mass. [Thank you whoever it was that explained this mass effect!] 3. We don't really know what the observer would notice, especially since we would be dead by the time the observer could tell us. 4. Einstein might be wrong, we'll just have to go real fast and find out. [Read "Was Einstein Wrong?" or something close to that title; actually, in just about any physics/science book there will be evidence presented backing Einstein - in "Future Magic", Dr. Forward states that Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity is one of the most well tested theories ever] If I've left off any answers, I apologize. In asking these types of questions I typically find that the "answers" will diverge quite a bit. The benefit of this, though, is that the answers that are presented with some backing evidence or references give me a chance to follow up on my own. Tim ------>MY SOAPBOX (I speak for myself) My nephew Mark, in a letter: Hi Uncle Tim my aquarium is great. 4 fish died but my crab is still living. [Some of us have good attitudes] Tim Beres beres@cadnetix.com {uunet,boulder,nbires}!cadnetix!beres