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Re: Faster Than Light Travel - Reply

From: Alan E & Carmel J Brain <aebrain@d...>
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 15:06:50 -0400
Subject: Re: Faster Than Light Travel - Reply

Phillip Atcliffe wrote:

> Now, I'm not a physicist, but my (limited, and not very mathematical)
> understanding is that _everything_ (that we are certain exists -- see
below) is
> limited to the speed of light under general relativity, or at least
that's what I read.

Yup. The Theory is a pretty good approximation of reality too, it works
rather well.

Of course, so does Newtonian physics, within its realm. Case in point:
FTL transmission of information has been achieved over macroscopic
distances, about 2 cm if memory serves. A piece of music was played, and
transmitted via tunnelling, arriving at a speed not less than a large
multiple of c, and recognisable as the tune being played (very
distorted, a lot of signal loss). Still, even such a small crack in the
FTL door rather puts the Kibosh on the absolute "Thous shalt not
transmit any information faster than light" prohibition.

Now this does not an FTL drive make. But it _IS_ interesting. I'll see
if I can dig up the references to the experiment. In the meantime,
Special and General Relativity work pretty well, despite known faults.
-- 
aebrain@dynamite.com.au     <> <>    How doth the little Crocodile
| Alan & Carmel Brain|	    xxxxx	Improve his shining tail?
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		    By pulling MAERKLIN Wagons, in 1/220 Scale

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