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[-] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 43 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

You have two observers, moving directly opposite each other.

Each has a flashlight pointing back at the other.

The speed of the light from those torched is the same for both observers.

(Instead the light would be red-shifted.)

Add a third observer, stationary to one and moving towards the other. As the third observer passes that observer, the speed of light from their flashlight never changes, and it’s the same speed as from the other two. (Instead it would go from being blue shifted to red shifted.)

[-] scbasteve@lemmy.world 50 points 2 days ago

This adds substantially more questions than it answers.

[-] kuberoot@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 day ago

It's complicated (and don't trust me too much, I'm not qualified), but if you've heard of time dilation and whatnot, if you start traveling at speeds comparable to the speed of light, spacetime distorts in such a way that from your point of view all light coming from any direction travels at the same speed.

This is also why (or one of the reasons) according to science you cannot travel faster than the speed of light, since light would still need to be traveling away from you at the speed of light and you'd need to occupy negative space in that direction, or something like that.

[-] technohacker@programming.dev 33 points 2 days ago

-Scientists after discovering General Relativity

[-] derek@infosec.pub 5 points 2 days ago

It makes sense after accepting spacetime is mutable. Reference frames are merely referential localization.

[-] LavaPlanet@sh.itjust.works -2 points 2 days ago

Different phases (colours of light) move at different speed, and have different longevity, I think. So how they always thought those pretty galaxy nebula photos, were red? Actually turns out that phase of light just travels for a longer time. Lasts longer. OK, now someone correct me, because I have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about. Just bring up vague floating memories from an article i read once.

this post was submitted on 04 Jun 2026
678 points (98.8% liked)

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