- #1
Zero-G
- 4
- 0
Has anyone ever wondered how life would be different if light could only travel at 50km/hr?
In summary, the conversation discusses the hypothetical scenario of light only being able to travel at 50km/hr and the potential implications on life, technology, and space travel. It is noted that this scenario would likely prevent the existence of life and drastically alter our understanding of physics. The conversation also delves into the current limitations of light speed and the potential for breakthroughs in the future. The conversation takes place in a forum and the rules of posting are mentioned.
- #2
Moonbear
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
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Nope, definitely not something I ever thought about. 
- #3
Pengwuino
Gold Member
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Yes I have. Then i thoguth of something else.
- #4
moose
- 558
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Life probably wouldn't exist, just think of how close we would still be to all other matter in the universe...
- #5
Mk
- 2,043
- 4
There's this whole website about that, it has flash models of blinking streetlamps and moving streetcars, and what they would look like if light were different speeds.
Its good.
Its good.
- #6
matthyaouw
Gold Member
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Cars traveling at 60 would be very accident prone.
- #7
Mk
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Well, the speed limit's already 50, so they're speeding.
- #8
Zero-G
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If light could only travel at 50km/hr, then this is a maximum speed and hence nothing can travel faster than it. I am guessing that the effects of relativity would become much more noticeable and space travel would be impossible because the escape velocity of the Earth would exceed the speed of light. As for computers, internet, mobile phones or anything else electronic, they'd be so slow that 'patience' would get a whole new meaning.
- #9
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I hate to break this to you, but light can already travel at 7 m/s, or even 0 m/s! Lena Hau has done tons of work on this. The caveat, of course, is that these are all in atomic gasses that has been EM-induced to be transparent.
Why did you post this in GD? You wish to receive creative and amusing answers? The crackpot rules... er... I mean Posting Guidelines still apply even in GD.
Zz.
Why did you post this in GD? You wish to receive creative and amusing answers? The crackpot rules... er... I mean Posting Guidelines still apply even in GD.
Zz.
- #10
matthyaouw
Gold Member
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Mk said:
Pssh, the speed limit on motorways is 70mph here
- #11
Andy
- 73
- 12
70mph if your a big fat truck, a caravan or just a big sissy girl. To anyone else its at least 90mph.
- #12
Integral
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FAQ: What if light could only travel at 50km/hr?
What would happen to the speed of light if it could only travel at 50km/hr?
If light could only travel at 50km/hr, it would be significantly slower than its current speed of 299,792,458 meters per second. This would drastically change the way we perceive and interact with light in our daily lives.
How would this affect our understanding of the universe?
The speed of light is a fundamental constant in the universe and plays a crucial role in many scientific theories and equations. If it could only travel at 50km/hr, our understanding of the universe would need to be reevaluated and many theories would need to be revised.
Would we still be able to see distant stars and galaxies?
If light could only travel at 50km/hr, it would take significantly longer for it to reach us from distant objects in space. This means that we would only be able to see objects that are relatively close to us, and our view of the universe would be limited.
How would this impact technology and communication?
The speed of light is crucial for many technologies, including fiber optic networks and satellite communications. If it could only travel at 50km/hr, these technologies would be drastically slowed down, making communication and data transfer much slower and less efficient.
Is it possible for light to only travel at 50km/hr?
In theory, it is possible for light to travel at different speeds depending on the medium it is passing through. However, the speed of light in a vacuum is a fundamental constant and cannot be changed. Therefore, it is not possible for light to only travel at 50km/hr in a vacuum.