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September 22, 2011
"The modern state of physics..."
"...has always hauntingly reminded me of the elaborate theory of epicycles of Ptolemy, or the strange geocentric model of Tycho Braehe, before the breakthrough of Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler. Modern physics cannot seem neatly to account for special relativity and quantum mechanics, and the certain philosophically absurd conclusions, such as the absence of cause and effect at a fine scale, or the impermanence of matter and energy, the objective uncertainty of mass and locaiton, are needed to bring the awkward model in line with observation." -- The First Tachyon? | John C. Wright's JournalPosted by Vanderleun at September 22, 2011 2:07 PM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.
Your Say
"Why, it's perfectly plain. What kind of a ship can get here in a month? An irrelevant ship, of course. One that is faster than light." She frowned. "But I don't see why it should take even a month. It shouldn't take any time at all. It wouldn't use time."
I said, "Take it easy, Janet. I'm stupid this morning—I didn't have much sleep last night. Why do you say that ship... uh, the Serendipity... is faster than light? That's impossible."
[...]
"Don't you see, Tommie? I've explained it to you, I know I have. Irrelevance. Why, you telepaths were the reason the investigation started; you proved that 'simultaneity' was an admissible concept , . . and the inevitable logical consequence was that time and space do not exist."
-- Robert A. Heinlein, Time For the Stars, 1956
Posted by: Slipstick Libby at September 22, 2011 11:42 PM
Did you notice that CERN nutrino which just exceeded light speed on its way to Milan? It almost got to Italy before leaving Switzerland.
Faster than a union boss on Stimulus Day!
Posted by: GaGator at September 23, 2011 9:51 AM