Timeline for What is the mechanism that restricts a body from accelerating past the speed of light?
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6 events
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| Jan 20, 2017 at 17:13 | comment | added | Lio Elbammalf | @Icarus Just as the $\frac{1}{r^{2}}$ is a mathematical concept used to describe many forces when considering movement spatially. I believe the gamma factor is similarly necessary when considering events in space-time. However I hadn't meant that as my answer and I agree it still isn't satisfactory just as saying gravity varies with an inverse $r^{2}$ factor wouldn't sufficiently describe the phenomena. I'm still trying to get enough of a handle on it myself to describe it. No point in me writing a badly researched answer :) | |
| Jan 20, 2017 at 14:18 | comment | added | Icarus | @LioElbammalf The gamma factor is the mathematical concept that was born out of necessity from special relativity. Unfortunately, the gamma factor is true because special relativity is true and not the other way around. And as you said I wish to know the phenomena behind the maths. | |
| Jan 20, 2017 at 11:37 | comment | added | Lio Elbammalf | Ah, the satisfying answer to scientists everywhere "It is as it is". I believe it is something to do with energy required to travel through space-time varies with a gamma factor. I'm not 100% so I'll do some more digging to try to formulate that into an answer. As I'm sure your degree taught you, maths is at the root of all solutions but as a physicist you want the phenomena behind the maths. | |
| Jan 20, 2017 at 11:22 | comment | added | GNA | In that case the reason: "It is as it is" describes it best. you can always dig deeper. But at some point you get to phenomena that you have to accept as they are. | |
| Jan 20, 2017 at 7:52 | comment | added | Icarus | I am very familiar with the mathematics of special relativity as I finished my bachelors in physics recently. What I failed to understand during my course was, what was physically responsible for the speed limit. Is it the interaction between matter and fabric of space-time, is it something else? | |
| Jan 20, 2017 at 7:26 | history | answered | GNA | CC BY-SA 3.0 |