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submitted 2 months ago by TheGuyTM3@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

It can look dumb, but I always had this question as a kid, what physical principles would prevent this?

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[-] Pacattack57@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

How heavy would a stick of this size weigh?

[-] TheGuyTM3@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

We're supposing that you have an herculean strengh and that weight is not a problem

[-] Spzi@lemm.ee 4 points 2 months ago

Weigh on Earth or on Moon?

[-] adaveinthelife@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 months ago

Go find a 30' stick and let us know if you can point it at the moon.

[-] jerkface@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 months ago

Putting it on the moon is just a distraction. It doesn't matter if the rod is 1m long or 100,000km.

[-] GnuLinuxDude@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 months ago

I enjoyed a lot of the discussion in the comments

[-] MithranArkanere@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

That would not work. Pushing an object is transmitting kinetic energy to it. The object will push back, and energy would not be distributed to the whole object at the same time.
If the object cannot be altered in any way, then the energy would not be transferred to it, and if it has enough plasticity to absorb the kinetic energy, it would be spread in a wave to the tip. A wave that would always be slower than light.

Now stop fooling around and give Ruyi Jingu Bang back to Sun Wukong.

[-] echo@lemmings.world 3 points 2 months ago

The pole would basically be a space elevator. I suspect gravity and inertia would effectively keep you from moving the stick. Even if you could move it, you'd only be able to move it at a speed that would seem like it's stationary. As such, the light would still be faster.

[-] fnrir@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

https://youtu.be/6g2bHqV01es

EDIT: It's in Polish, but it's still a good video.

[-] tias@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I don't see this mentioned in any of the other comments: the repulsion between atoms that causes the movement to propagate through the stick is actually communicated via photons. So your push really generates the same kind of particles that your light torch is generating, and they travel at the same speed. Except in the stick it is slowed down by repeated absorption and excitation by the electrons of the atoms.

[-] Ludrol@szmer.info 2 points 2 months ago
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this post was submitted on 11 Feb 2025
521 points (94.2% liked)

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