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BadgerBadger92
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I hear these massless and hypothetical particles could travel faster than light, would that prove relativity wrong?
Sorry for that mistake.Orodruin said:No, they would not violate relativity per se. They would violate causality.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postulates_of_special_relativityAs measured in any inertial frame of reference, light is always propagated in empty space with a definite velocity c that is independent of the state of motion of the emitting body. Or: the speed of light in free space has the same value c in all inertial frames of reference.
I think it is understood that when it says definite value it means finite. Otherwise it is imprecise and needs an edit to make it clearer.MathematicalPhysicist said:Interestingly the second postulate doesn't say if c is finite or infinite, at least according to wiki:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postulates_of_special_relativity
Which just illustrates that Wikipedia is not a reliable source.MathematicalPhysicist said:at least according to wiki
Give that Wikipedia makes clear that ##0 < c < \infty##, this illustrates rather that @MathematicalPhysicist is an unreliable source.PeterDonis said:Which just illustrates that Wikipedia is not a reliable source.
Tachyons are hypothetical particles that travel faster than the speed of light. They are predicted by certain theories in physics, but have not been observed or confirmed. The concept of tachyons challenges the principles of relativity, which state that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light.
If tachyons were proven to exist and travel faster than the speed of light, it would contradict the fundamental principles of relativity. This could potentially discredit the theory and require a new understanding of the laws of physics.
Currently, there is no concrete evidence for the existence of tachyons. Some experiments have suggested the possibility of particles traveling faster than light, but these results have not been replicated or confirmed.
Scientists are using theoretical models and mathematical equations to explore the concept of tachyons and their potential effects on relativity. Some are also conducting experiments to try and detect the presence of tachyons.
If tachyons were proven to exist and travel faster than light, it would have significant implications for our understanding of the laws of physics. It could potentially lead to a complete reworking of the principles of relativity and open up new possibilities for space travel and time travel.