Fearless Felix Faster Than Light?

Been meaning to do a science related post for a while. I actually have some good follow-up information on the Higg’s Boson and its implications to science, but as that’s a long post I’ll have to do it later. It’s getting busy now that I’m approaching exam period.

In the meantime, enjoy this:

 

 

 

There are various versions of this floating around on the internet because, well, it’s stupid. How stupid you say? Well, here comes the science.

First of all, the neutrino that supposedly travelled faster than light (but was eventually proven not to), is also known as a ghost particle because it does not interact with matter. It quite literally travels through objects without slowing down. Unfortunately, a human doesn’t have this ability.

Second, special relativity means that an object approaching light speed will gain a mass approaching infinity. Not only would Fearless Felix have died, he probably would have formed a black hole that destroyed our solar system.

Finally, it’s just not possible to reach light speed. Humans don’t have the propulsion technology to get anywhere close, let alone free falling with only gravity accelerating you at 9.8m/s/s. Especially if you know that the speed of light is 299,792,458 metres per second. Now, the diameter of the earth is 12,756,200 metres, so Felix would have gone through the Earth more than twenty times in one second. Sounding stupid now?

So yeah, found a funny post in relation to this image: “This is what happens when you let art students tell the news”. Couldn’t help but chuckle.