Canadian science communicator Derek Muller has a great new video on his YouTube channel Veritasium explaining the physics of contraptions meant to go faster than light. He shows how things get weird really fast in these situations, and explains why the speed of light – 186,000 miles per second (300,000 km/sec) – appears to be our universe’s ultimate speed limit. You’ll enjoy all six minutes of it. Way to go, Derek!
Thank you, Robert Rudnik for the heads up!
Bottom line: Why we haven’t been able to build – or even conceive of – a contraption that goes faster than light.
Deborah Byrd
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About the Author:
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.