Now here is the basic proof, or rather reason, why we are forever bonded to 185.9999999999' miles per second.
E=mc2
This simple but not simple equation invokes laws of staggering proportions, but I'm focusing on its effect on the speed of objects.
Now the Special Theory of Relativity (not to be confused with General theory of relativity) has MANY implications for physics. But one of them is how mass and energy and space and time are tied together.
mass is energy and time is space.
The implications of a "space-time" are huge, and not in my opinion easy enough to explain on a forum
But mass is time. These sinple words created the A-bomb that was dropped on japan. Well both a-boms dropped on japan.
Now the A-bomb is a perfect example for e=mc2. Take a close look at the equation. Energy = Mass times the Speed of light squared. So look at it this way. A small amount of mass is ALOT of energy. Because the speed of light is so fast. (speed=distance/time). So with a single ounce of uranium they were able to blow the fuck out of japan.
Now with that mind set, we can look at the next point. We have to know the laws that govern motion. Now energy has many forms. The form we are going to concintrait on is "kenetic" energy. In order to move an object it takes energy. This is because motion is relative and each object has the same right to consider themselvs stationairy!! So look at e=mc2 again. The more mass an object has, the more energy it takes to move it. So think what happens as we aproach the speed of light. The objects mass increases exponentially and so does its energy! Now stop for a moment. Light has no mass. Photons are what makes up light (Well there is a Thing called particle/wave duality whcih i will explain later). Photons have no mass. So there. The amount of energy to go the speed of light would be INFINITE! And that ladies and gentleman is IMPOSSIBLE.
Now. Take a break. Go jog a mile. I am about to tell you a KNOWN part of science that is going to make your head spin. We are going to take a trip down the road of Quantam Mechanics. The other side of the Unified thoery of everything.
-----------
Here is an experament run by many science classes around the world. ITs purpose? To prove that light travels in waves. You take a card board box, and cut slits in it. put a screen on one side and a single wavlength of light on the other. Now common sense says that there should be to slits of light on the screen, but no. Light is like a pond with pebbles being dropped in. When the light is turned on, the screen shows a patern of dark and light stripes, with the brighest being in the middle of the 2 slits. Now wow, cool. Its pretty awsome. Light is waves. But what is wierd is when the light is slowed down to a single photon. IF you release a single photon one at a time through the holes (and the screen was a ELCD screen that recoreded the hit of each photon with a small dot) The same thing happens. Now think about that! What happens when you throw baseballs one at a time through holes. It makes a pile on the other side. What happens with photons is that a single photon is going through BOTH holes at once and interfering with ITSELF! Now that is some wierd shit. I have to stress that this is FACT. ITs been proven and this experamnet HAS been done, with photons and even whole atoms.
Now take another break. A even wierder "thought experament" is going to hit you.
"A cat is placed in a sealed box. Attached to the box is an apparatus containing a radioactive atomic nucleus and a canister of poison gas. This apparatus is separated from the cat in such a way that the cat can in no way interfere with it. The experiment is set up so that there is exactly a 50% chance of the nucleus decaying in one hour. If the nucleus decays, it will emit a particle that triggers the apparatus, which opens the canister and kills the cat. If the nucleus does not decay, then the cat remains alive. According to quantum mechanics, the unobserved nucleus is described as a superposition (meaning it exists partly as each simultaneously) of "decayed nucleus" and "undecayed nucleus". However, when the box is opened the experimenter sees only a "decayed nucleus/dead cat" or an "undecayed nucleus/living cat." -Edwin Schrodinger
Think about that. According to the Copenhagen interpretation the amount of uncertainty for a complex quantum system is predicteed by quantum decoherence. particles which exchange photons become mixed with each other from the point of view of an observer, meaning that these particcles can only be described acurately relative 2 each other, which decreses the total uncertainty of those particles from the point of view of our observer. By the time one has reached "quantum" levels/ so many particles have become mixed thast it decreases the uncertainty to pretty much zero. at least from the point of view of the observer, any inprobability rwith the cat as a system of quantum particles has disapered due 2 the massive amount of intanglment between all of the particles that make it up. meaning that the cat does not truly exist as both alive and dead at the same time.
What this means, is that if the cat and the "decayed nucleaus" are 100000000000 light years away, then how fast do the probabilty waves travel. If we open the box with the nucleus and we find it decayed then we know the cat is dead. How fast do the waves travel to get to the cat telling it, its dead? Which brings us to a big question. Do probabilty waves travel faster than light? Are they instantanius? According to e=mc2 and einstin the answere is no. But how can they not be? Damn, Quantam mechanics hurts. lol.
There are a gazzilion other implications of QM, but many I do not even fully understand. But what you have to know is that these situations have been tested. Infact you may call this info "old hat". Its been known for quite awhile. Actually Quantum electro-dynamics "QED - The Strange Theory of Light and Matter," by Richard Feynman was published in 1985 and it contained all and more of this info. Check it out. Its a little out of date, but still a great read.
Anyway, most of you would not bother to finish reading all that, but feel free to post your opinions on ths speed of light and if we can ever hope to achieve it.
