🚀 go-pugleaf

In article PJS@GROUCH.JPL.NASA.GOV (Peter Scott) writes:
>Let's change the title of this topic, please.  I didn't see the original
>posting, but any question that sparks this amount of discussion and
>dare-I-say learning shouldn't be called stupid.

Thanks.  I started this topic and a summary might be in order.  

The original question:  As an observer/space-traveller approached C 
what would the observed effects by the traveller (not by an observer in 
an inertial reference frame).

Some answers:  1.  You can't go that fast.  [This consisted of one persons
entire answer - I was truly effing illuminated.   Well you may not be able
to go exactly C, but you certainly can approach it - the problem being that
a "stationary" observer can't witness this...but you, at ~C, certainly would]
2.  Since the "mass approaches infinity" part of Einstein's Special 
Relativity really has to do with the accelerations necessary to move an
object, not with its "intrinsic" mass, the observer at ~C would not notice
a change in his/her/its mass. [Thank you whoever it was that explained
this mass effect!]  3.  We don't really know what the observer would
notice, especially since we would be dead by the time the observer could
tell us.   4.  Einstein might be wrong, we'll just have to go real fast and
find out.  [Read "Was Einstein Wrong?" or something close to that title;
actually, in just about any physics/science book there will be evidence
presented backing Einstein - in "Future Magic", Dr. Forward states that
Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity is one of the most well tested 
theories ever]

If I've left off any answers, I apologize.  In asking these types of 
questions I typically find that the "answers" will diverge quite a bit.
The benefit of this, though, is that the answers that are presented
with some backing evidence or references give me a chance to follow up
on my own.  

			Tim

------>MY SOAPBOX (I speak for myself)
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Tim Beres   beres@cadnetix.com  {uunet,boulder,nbires}!cadnetix!beres