Quote:
Originally posted by JET@Sep 7 2004, 10:31 PM
The special theory of relativity applies locally, but we do not know how it applies on a greater scale. We do not have a firm grasp on how space and time are related and the theory applies only to a spacetime area that is flat. Just like a circle, if you take an area small enough it is nearly flat (a tangent), but when you look at a larger area it is curved.
Spacetime may be just like this, but we do not know. Jumping between those points may make it appear to other observers that you are traveling faster than the speed of light. The Alcubierre warp bubble is a theory about this. There are tons of other theories too, but our knowledge is so limited on the subject that it is all speculation right now.
|
General relativity tells us how it acts on a large scale, which has been proven over and over again for 75+ years.We do have a grasp on how space and time are related, and we do know space and time are warped by energy/mass.It can be observed in some of the gravitational lense pictures at the above Hubble link.
As far as taking a short cut through an area of warped space-time, even though it would appear c is exceeded, its not.The object taking the short cut is still travelling less than c, Alcubierre's "theory" even states that.Its analogous to 2 cars travelling from one side of a mountain to the other.If a car dvives over a mountain and a car drives through a tunnel in the mountain both traveling at the same speed, the car going through the tunnel will arrive at the other side before the other car, but the speed is still the same.