- #1
KingOrdo
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In a description of the discovery of the so-called 'Oh-My-God particle' (http://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/ohmygodpart.html), the following assertion is made:
The idea seems to be, essentially, that it would take 21 years to go from Earth to the center of the galaxy at 1516c, while only taking 3 seconds to make the same trip at (very close to) c. How could that be? What sense does that make?
It is interesting to observe that a real particle, in our universe, subject to all the laws of physics we understand, is a rather better interstellar voyager than the best fielded in the 24th century by the United Federation of Planets. Their much-vaunted Galaxy Class starships are capable of speeds slightly in excess of Warp Factor 9, an apparent velocity of 1516 cochranes (or 1516 times the speed of light).[4] At a velocity of 1516 c, traveling to the centre of the galaxy would take, as perceived by the life forms on board, a little more than 21 years. By contrast, an observer on board the Oh-My-God particle would arrive at the nucleus of the Milky Way, according to his clock, just about 3 seconds after leaving Starbase Terra. That's more than 9,700,000 times faster than the starship. In the time the starship spends vacuum-whooshing and rumbling its way to the nearby star Aldebaran, the particle could travel to the edge of the visible universe.
The idea seems to be, essentially, that it would take 21 years to go from Earth to the center of the galaxy at 1516c, while only taking 3 seconds to make the same trip at (very close to) c. How could that be? What sense does that make?