Message Forum: Re: If you had a secret power, what would it be?

Re: If you had a secret power, what would it be?

Posted By: Stephen, on host 68.7.169.109
Date: Wednesday, July 28, 2004, at 17:13:09
In Reply To: Re: If you had a secret power, what would it be? posted by Don the Monkeyman on Wednesday, July 28, 2004, at 10:23:49:

> > > Relativity might cover it, with the whole "light travels at a constant speed" thing, but I'm not sure.
> >
> > Light doesn't travel at a single constant speed; its speed is affected by the medium through which it's travelling. The constant c is the speed of light in a vacuum.
>
> I may not be remembering this well, but I think the idea of relativity and the speed of light has nothing to do with the effect of the medium on the speed of light, but rather the speed of light relative to the speed of motion of the object viewing the light, meaning that if you are in a vacuum and motionless, light travels towards you at a speed of c, but if you move towards the source of the light at a speed of 0.5c, you still perceive light moving towards you at a speed of c rather than 1.5c.

Turns out MM/LaZorra may be right and I may be totally wrong on this. I've been looking at stuff on relativity for a while now and am (as usual whenever I try and understand relativity) completely boggled. I concede the point on the basis that I have no clue what I'm talking about.

If someone could clear up exactly what'd happen, and why, I'd appreciate it.

Stephen

Replies To This Message

Re: If you had a secret power, what would it be? - Sam - Wed, 8/4/2004, 16:30:07

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Message:	> > > > Relativity might cover it, with the whole "light travels at a constant speed" thing, but I'm not sure. > > > > > > Light doesn't travel at a single constant speed; its speed is affected by the medium through which it's travelling. The constant c is the speed of light in a vacuum. > > > > I may not be remembering this well, but I think the idea of relativity and the speed of light has nothing to do with the effect of the medium on the speed of light, but rather the speed of light relative to the speed of motion of the object viewing the light, meaning that if you are in a vacuum and motionless, light travels towards you at a speed of c, but if you move towards the source of the light at a speed of 0.5c, you still perceive light moving towards you at a speed of c rather than 1.5c. > > Turns out MM/LaZorra may be right and I may be totally wrong on this. I've been looking at stuff on relativity for a while now and am (as usual whenever I try and understand relativity) completely boggled. I concede the point on the basis that I have no clue what I'm talking about. > > If someone could clear up exactly what'd happen, and why, I'd appreciate it. > > Stephen
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