Is anything faster than a photon?
“The lightest neutrino, being lighter than light, would then actually travel faster than photons,” Heeck said. The idea of neutrinos that move faster than photons would seem to violate the notion, based on Einstein’s theory of relativity, that nothing can travel faster than light.
Why can’t photons travel faster than the speed of light?
If it doesn’t take any effort to move light particles, why can’t photons travel faster than light speed? Time dilation. Time slows down as you approach the speed of light and when you reach it, time stops. For a photon, there is no time, everything happens instantaneously.
What if photons could travel faster than the speed of light?
Paul Davies of the University of Newcastle says that if photons could travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum, it would have profound implications for physics. Many paradoxes would rear their ugly heads.
What is the lifespan of a photon?
The particles that make up light, photons, may live for at least 1 quintillion (1 billion multiplied by 1 billion) years, new research suggests. If photons can die, they could give off particles that travel faster than light. Many particles in nature decay over time.
What happens to photons when they die?
If photons can die, they could give off particles that travel faster than light. Many particles in nature decay over time. For instance, radioactive atoms are unstable, eventually breaking down into smaller particles and giving off energy as they do so.
Do neutrinos travel faster than photons?
“The lightest neutrino, being lighter than light, would then actually travel faster than photons,” Heeck said. The idea of neutrinos that move faster than photons would seem to violate the notion, based on Einstein’s theory of relativity, that nothing can travel faster than light.