Science Question...

[anonymous-user]

If you were (hypothetically) travelling at the speed of light, and you were to hold a mirror up in front of your face... what would you see??

[Rob_F]

A tree making no noise whilst falling in the woods.

[FunkyGibbon]

Rob_F said:

A tree making no noise whilst falling in the woods.

whilst mimicking the sound of one hand clapping

[dilbert]

Or maybe just shrodingers cat.

[esselte]

dilbert said:

Or maybe just shrodingers cat.

I thought that was dead?

[turbobloke]

a red shifted zit?

[JagLover]

If we left the room, would this thread still be here?

[dilbert]

esselte said:

dilbert said: Or maybe just shrodingers cat. I thought that was dead?

Only because it was shot by an air pistol, having crapped in nextdoors garden.

[esselte]

dilbert said:

esselte said: dilbert said: Or maybe just shrodingers cat. I thought that was dead? Only because it was shot by an air pistol, having crapped in nextdoors garden.

Ah,travelling at the speed of light merges threads together!!

[anonymous-user]

hey don't take the p**s guys, i'm serious, we've been having this discussion at work this afternoon and i can't get my head round it...

one chap says "your eyes won't work as the light won't get into them" {snigger}

another guy says you'd see a reflection of yourself as the light moving relative to you would be normal speed,

and the third guy (me) tends to thing that there would be nothing in the mirror, as at the speed of light there would be no actual reflection

who's right???

[ultimasimon]

Mac GT said:

If you were (hypothetically) travelling at the speed of light, and you were to hold a mirror up in front of your face... what would you see??

Nothing, you would be more worried about what lies ahead

[esselte]

Mac GT said:

hey don't take the p**s guys, i'm serious, we've been having this discussion at work this afternoon and i can't get my head round it... one chap says "your eyes won't work as the light won't get into them" {snigger} another guy says you'd see a reflection of yourself as the light moving relative to you would be normal speed, and the third guy (me) tends to thing that there would be nothing in the mirror, as at the speed of light there would be no actual reflection who's right???

Would there be any point putting your headlights on?

[Tuna]

esselte said:

Ah,travelling at the speed of light merges threads together!!

Don't Cross the Threads!!!

edited to add - I think you'd see yourself - light would still 'work' for you. However, the experience would be brief as the first speck of cosmic dust you met would wipe you, the spaceship and your mirror out.

>> Edited by Tuna on Friday 8th April 17:55

[brainsaw]

I reckon:

Mac GT said:

another guy says you'd see a reflection of yourself as the light moving relative to you would be normal speed,

[groucho]

If it was me, I would see an extremely handsome fella.



>> Edited by groucho on Friday 8th April 18:23

[Scruffy]

Don't hold your breath - but an explaination will appear on this thread, I'm just having my tea.

[nervous]

youd see yourself. the speed of light remains the same for you, its for relative bodies (not in the way that jerry lee lewis thinks of them...ooo topical reference) that the apparent speed of light changes.

as the kids say, true dat. whatever the hell that means.

[Balmoral Green]

I just googled it, loads of information, but cant be arsed to cut 'n' paste it all.

There was a very interesting site though that explained it with chocolate and a microwave oven.

[vescovo]

nervous said:

youd see yourself. the speed of light remains the same for you, its for relative bodies (not in the way that jerry lee lewis thinks of them...ooo topical reference) that the apparent speed of light changes. as the kids say, true dat. whatever the hell that means.

Yep, wot he said.

[FunkyNige]

nervous said:

youd see yourself. the speed of light remains the same for you, its for relative bodies (not in the way that jerry lee lewis thinks of them...ooo topical reference) that the apparent speed of light changes. as the kids say, true dat. whatever the hell that means.

Goddamnit, I was going to look all clever and give this answer but you just beat me to it, grr.

Aargh and to make it worse the Straight Dope archive (where the answers tto all life's questions lie) is down

Edit - Dope comes to the rescue -

www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_143.html

(it's the headlights on at the speed of light but the explanation is in there)

>> Edited by FunkyNige on Friday 8th April 18:40