Time, Space and Perception

[Embar Angylwrath]

Most of us know that time and space are inter-related. One can neither move through time without moving through space, and vice versa. So what is the equation for space-time movement? It's really pretty simple for those of you that have had HS calculus. Its one of the standard curve models. You notice it at 0.5 lightspeed, and really see dilation at 0.9 lightspeed and above.

So... for those of you geekily inclined... stretch the equation...

If a parcel of matter was accelerated to the speed of light (or alternatively the mass of the matter was reduced to zero... , its the same mathematically.... get the non-distinction yet?), would the mass be converted to a photonic phase?

I think so! And that's the easy part! Any mass imparted with enough energy to reach light speed becomes photonic by defintion.

BUT!!!!

Lets say we figure out a way bypass that part of the energy spectrum and "tunnel" through a different level. Lets say we figure out how to impart negative mass to matter. Screw with the quantum foam that describes mass. Make it oscillate so the Planck string inverts and describes a negative mass... what would happen?

Tachyons baby! TACHYONS!

E=mc2 (thank you Albert!), infers that mass imparted with additional energy more than inherent in the mass itself is capable of transitioning to a tachyon phase. God bless ya ALbert, god does indeed not throw dice.

Thoughts?

[Kulaf]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachyon_condensation

[Ddrak]

Relativity is pretty interesting. Tachyons do come out of the equations (with imaginary energy and positive real mass) but are unable to transfer information faster than light, or interact with anything non-tachyonic and hence causality still holds. Interestingly, their energy gets "larger" the slower they get with an asymptote at the speed of light.

Wikipedia does a pretty good job of covering the basics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachyon. I'm sure Arathena could say much more than I could about the subject...

Dd

[Arathena]

Relativity is pretty interesting. Tachyons do come out of the equations (with imaginary energy and positive real mass) but are unable to transfer information faster than light, or interact with anything non-tachyonic and hence causality still holds. Interestingly, their energy gets "larger" the slower they get with an asymptote at the speed of light.

Wikipedia does a pretty good job of covering the basics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachyon. I'm sure Arathena could say much more than I could about the subject...

Dd

I have nothing meaningful to add to the Wikipedia article atm, as that's a rabbit hole that I don't go down, for the sake of my sanity. All I will note is that anything that automatically accelerates until it is simultaneously at every point in the universe and then self-pair-annhilates with zero energy output is win.

[Garrdor]

Hey,

you think if you were in a spaceship going at the speed of light, and you started screaming like "AHHHHHHH!!!! UGHHHHHHHH!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!" -- do you think your head would explode?

[Arathena]

Hey,

you think if you were in a spaceship going at the speed of light, and you started screaming like "AHHHHHHH!!!! UGHHHHHHHH!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!" -- do you think your head would explode?

No. That only happens when you get kicked out of the spaceship onto the surface of Mars. On the space ship, your eyes try to explode, but you leave the explosion behind, and just your afterimage blows up.