Does time stop at the speed of light?
Dr. Ransom describes some effects of relativity: The faster something goes, the slower time passes for that object. But if two objects pass in the night, each will see the others clock ticking slower than their own - how can this make sense? The answer is in acceleration.
Prof. Buckley is riveted by the demonstration with matchbox cars.
It is impossible for information to propagate faster than the speed of light in vacuum. It's not so much that "light" is special, it's that stuff that has no mass, no "rest mass", travels the speed of light. When light travels through matter, it slows down. It's like it breaks the sound barrier and radiates Cerenkov radiation.
The only way I know to configure a system whose speed is faster than light (in vacuum) is to put flashlights back to back, then the beams of light separate at twice c.
DocRansom 8 months ago