On Thu, Nov 14, 2013 at 8:44 AM, David Roberson <[email protected]> wrote:
> After a modest period of time, we calculate that our super rocket engine > which uses anti matter as fuel and attached ship, has reached a calculated > velocity of 10 times the speed of light. This number is calculated by > integrating the acceleration that we can easily measure in the reference > frame around our ship that is also constantly accelerating. > I'm going to guess that the assumption that one can integrate acceleration from the reference frame over time and get a speed greater than that of light is inconsistent with relativity. One possible resolution here is that if one is approaching that close to the speed of light, from the reference frame the rocket pilot with his foot on the gas pedal would perceive a steady increase in speed, but the observer would see time slowing down for him to the point of almost stopping. The rocket pilot would not perceive this to be happening so he would be happy with his steady approach towards light speed, and be quite proud of himself on the progress he's making. I suppose that if faster-than-light travel is possible, it will have to involve a big discontinuity of some kind, so that the whole reference frame/observer frame question from relativity would not apply. In that context I wonder what the pilot of the ship fitted with an Alcubierre drive would perceive. Eric
