198
PHVSICS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE
Science fiction? Undoubtedly. But could it be based on scientific
fact? Perhaps. Faster-than-light travel has always been a staple of science fiction, but recently physicists have given serious thought to this
possibility.
According to Einstein, the speed of light is the ultimate speed limit
in the universe. Even our most powerful atom smashers, which can
create energies found only at the center of exploding stars or the big
bang itself, cannot hurl subatomic particles at a rate faster than the
speed of light. Apparently the speed of light is the ultimate traffic cop
in the universe. If so, any hope of our reaching the distant galaxies
seems to be dashed.
Or maybe not...
EINSTEIN THE FAILURE
In 1902 it was far from obvious that the young physicist Albert Einstein
would be hailed as the greatest physicist since Isaac Newton. In fact,
that year represented the lowest point in his life. A newly minted Ph.D.
student, he was rejected for a teaching job by every university he applied to. (He later found out that his professor Heinrich Weber had
written horrible letters of recommendation for him, perhaps in revenge for Einstein's having cut so many of his classes.) Furthermore,
Einstein's mother was violently opposed to his girlfriend, Mileva
Marie, who was carrying his child. Their first daughter, Lieserl, would
be born illegitimate. Young Albert was also a failure at the odd jobs he
took. Even his lowly tutoring job abruptly ended when he was fired. In
his depressing letters he contemplated becoming a salesman to earn a
living. He even wrote to his family that perhaps it would have been better had he never been born, since he was such a burden to his family
and lacked any prospects for success in life. When his father died, he
felt ashamed that his father had died thinking that his son was a total
failure.
Yet later that year Einstein's luck would turn. A friend arranged for
him to get a job as a clerk in the Swiss Patent Office. From that lowly
PHVSICS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE
Science fiction? Undoubtedly. But could it be based on scientific
fact? Perhaps. Faster-than-light travel has always been a staple of science fiction, but recently physicists have given serious thought to this
possibility.
According to Einstein, the speed of light is the ultimate speed limit
in the universe. Even our most powerful atom smashers, which can
create energies found only at the center of exploding stars or the big
bang itself, cannot hurl subatomic particles at a rate faster than the
speed of light. Apparently the speed of light is the ultimate traffic cop
in the universe. If so, any hope of our reaching the distant galaxies
seems to be dashed.
Or maybe not...
EINSTEIN THE FAILURE
In 1902 it was far from obvious that the young physicist Albert Einstein
would be hailed as the greatest physicist since Isaac Newton. In fact,
that year represented the lowest point in his life. A newly minted Ph.D.
student, he was rejected for a teaching job by every university he applied to. (He later found out that his professor Heinrich Weber had
written horrible letters of recommendation for him, perhaps in revenge for Einstein's having cut so many of his classes.) Furthermore,
Einstein's mother was violently opposed to his girlfriend, Mileva
Marie, who was carrying his child. Their first daughter, Lieserl, would
be born illegitimate. Young Albert was also a failure at the odd jobs he
took. Even his lowly tutoring job abruptly ended when he was fired. In
his depressing letters he contemplated becoming a salesman to earn a
living. He even wrote to his family that perhaps it would have been better had he never been born, since he was such a burden to his family
and lacked any prospects for success in life. When his father died, he
felt ashamed that his father had died thinking that his son was a total
failure.
Yet later that year Einstein's luck would turn. A friend arranged for
him to get a job as a clerk in the Swiss Patent Office. From that lowly