Here is a little thought experiment for you. If the speed of light is a constant 186,000 miles per second, can you theoretically catch up to a light beam? Well, if you are a fan of Einstein, then you would know you can’t through the theory of special relativity. Why? Hmmm, the short of the really long is… you can’t because at the speed of light, an object’s mass is infinite. When something has an infinite amount of mass, it takes an infinite amount of energy to accelerate it. Since there is no such thing as an infinite amount of energy, the speed of light is impossible, for at least anything that is a bradyon, a particle with mass. Luxons are the name for the particles that make up light or photons. They are massless particles, and therefore, can travel at the speed of light… or itself or… Well, you get the idea, right? Okay, so here is my next question. Since scientists say that the speed of light is constant, can you at least make it seem slower relative to your own speed?

First, let’s say you are in a car. If you are parked on the side of the road, a car traveling at 60 miles an hour passes you at 60 miles an hour. But, if you are traveling at 30 miles per hour and the car traveling at 60 mph passes you (in the same direction that is), it will pass you at 30 mph. Since you are traveling at 30 mph, you subtract it from the passing car’s total mph, you then get 30 mph relative to your perspective, right? With that being said, can you alter the supposed “constant” speed of light relative to your perspective? Before I give you the answer, let’s make this into a truly hypothetical situation.

Let’s say you are now in a space ship that can travel half the speed of light. That would be… 93,000 miles per second. If you left the space station and reached your maximum 93,000 miles per second, and at the same time your partner, still at the space station, turned on a spot light as you left (pointed towards your direction), would the light from your earth bound partner pass you at 93,000 miles an hour like common logic would suggest? Your logical mind would subtract your speed from the passer-by’s speed, and you get the answer… right? No! Sorry to say, it passes you by at 186,000 miles per second as if you are standing still.




You may say, “How can that be? If it travels away from your earth bound partner at 186,000 miles per second, how can it also pass by you at the same speed? That would make it traveling at two different speeds at the same time — 279,000 miles per second relative to you, and your speed of 83,000 miles per second; and 186,000 miles per second relative to the earth bound partner, and his 0 miles per second.” Even though it contradicts all logic, it is true. Want to know something even more amazing? This was what Einstein contemplated while at 16 years of age. Okay, now that you may be really confused, I will give you one more scenario to reinforce the wonderful world of the electromagnetic force (light).

Say you are now traveling back towards the space station you left, and you have your same earth bound partner waiting for your return. When you get a certain distance from the space station, he turns on the same spot light as you approach. With this light beam traveling towards you, does the light beam reach you faster? In other words, since you are traveling towards the beam of light, and it towards you, does it seem faster relative to you than if you were standing still? Again, NO! WTF?! Right?! Even though you are traveling at 93,000 miles per second, and the light at 186,000 miles per second towards you, it still does not travel any faster towards you. If you use traditional math, it equates to the light beam actually traveling at 93,000 miles per second. Yet, in reality, it can’t because it is traveling away from your partner at 186,000 miles per second towards you!

Now that I really f#*ked with your mind, try making sense out of all this, and then convey your thoughts in the comments below when you’re done. Have fun!