[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: starship-design: FTL
L. Parker wrote:
>Steve wrote:
>> Sure they did. If you reappear at Tau Ceti in less time than it would
>> take for light to go from Earth to Tau Ceti, then observers won't
>> agree on whether you disappeared from Earth and reappeared at Tau Ceti,
>> or disappeared from Tau Ceti and reappeared at Earth.
>Huh? So what? It doesn't matter if you get there before the light does
>as long as you can't get BACK before you left. Assuming that this mythical
>drive is ONLY instantaneous or nearly so, you can't get back to the
>original (rest) frame prior to leaving it.
This is right, and Steve is confused.
But you have to remember that "instantaneous" is a relative notion.
Assuming relativity is valid and there are no special frames of
reference, what you can do is thrust a little bit (sublight)
before making your trip back.
With your new frame of reference, "instantaneous" correlates
different points in space-time. When you "instantaneously"
travel back, you travel back instantly in your _new_ frame of
reference. This will let you travel back to meet yourself
before you left.
--
_____ Isaac Kuo kuo@bit.csc.lsu.edu http://www.csc.lsu.edu/~kuo
__|_)o(_|__
/___________\ "Mari-san... Yokatta...
\=\)-----(/=/ ...Yokatta go-buji de..." - Karigari Hiroshi