phonex lander new mission to mars lands in 4 min

[psp_crazy1]

...perhaps, if you have pretty much no mass at all.

What does that have to do with it?

 

[gurusan]

What does mass have to do with getting close to the speed of light?

Dude!!!!!

 

[Oreo]

Because things become extremely massive (which is partly the problem) when they approach the speed of light.

So if they didn't become massive, at all... just think : ]

 

[gurusan]

Actually that's a misconception. Mass does not increase as you approach the speed of light, energy does. In E=mc² mass is the resting mass.

For total energy you need to consider the Lorentz Factor ...giving you E = γmc²

Anyway, my point was that if something has even a little bit of mass, you will need a LOT of energy to power it...so far to acquire energy and convert it to motion we need objects with loads and loads of mass....

 

[Oreo]

I swear i remember seeing something like 'of infinite mass and infinite energy'.

Probably wrong.

 

[gurusan]

You can study E=mc² for awhile and still be completely baffled by it. I am...I think the infinite mass thing is because it appears as if the mass is increasing to an outside observer.

but I could be wrong too. I have read a few books by Michio Kaku, Brian Greene, and Stephen Hawking and have had little moments of understanding. But it quickly disappears from my mind and I have to go revise again to get that understanding back. I would make a really crappy theoretical physicist. Too many abstract things to visualize. I function better in the world of thermodynamics, mechanics, and kinetics. Newtonian physics are far easier to understand and are accurate enough for an engineer to work with as long as we hang around on this planet. Start going into space and away from the large mass that is our planet and much of Newtonian physics break down

 

[Kharn]

Physics is a interesting subject but gets far to complex for me to find it enjoyable. Like the whole density of matter when it is under the effects of a black hole an the time distortions ect.

 

[gurusan]

Yeah I tend to stick to the more general stuff that's easy to remember like the life of a star, the formation of white dwarfs/neutron stars/black holes...the creation of the different elements and such.

But I do highly recommend both Michio Kaku and Brian Greene. Very cool stuff and they are SO good at explaining it to us physics 'tards. Start with "The Elegant Universe", by Briane Greene...primarily about string theory and the composition of space/time

 

[Puddle Jumper]

I also recommend A Briefer History of Time and A Brief History of Time both by Stephen Hawking. Its been a while since I read them but they were extremely interesting and offered a somewhat simplified explanation of some very complex subjects. I really need to go back and read those again.

"The Elegant Universe" sounds good i will have to get it. I have seen Michio Kaku on several documentaries on the science channel but I have not heard of Brian Greene

 

[Kharn]

I have read a brief history of time, nice book. But i have never read a briefer history of time for some reason.