Everything travels at the speed of light?

[trewsx7]

Hello, newbie here from Washington DC, no background in physics or higher mathematics, but very curious about theoretical physics nonetheless. I've been reading various articles about the speed-of-light and I came across a statement that intrigued me: Everything travels at the speed of light.

 

Now, I realize that most of this motion for everyday objects is diverted in both the time and space directions, so that theoretically an object at rest is travelling through spacetime at light-speed through the time direction while light travels at this speed through space.

 

But my question is this: "objects at rest" that travel at the speed-of-light through time DO NOT apply to me sitting here at my desk, correct, since I am moving with the orbit of the earth? These "objects at rest" travelling at 100% lightspeed though the TIME DIMENSION ONLY only apply to hypothetical objects in a vaccuum (like empty space), and not anything here on Earth?

 

Please tell if I am right or wrong on this. And if I am wrong, please elaborate objects at perfect rest and give me an example (all travel is done through time and none through space).

 

Thanks!

[swansont]

That will be the case for any object in an inertial frame. Orbits represent an acceleration, so you know that you are moving. So someone at rest with respect to the rotation and orbit of the earth would see your clocks running slow (from that motion, but there would be other slowing effects due to being in a gravitational potential)

[FastTrack]

Hello, newbie here from Washington DC, no background in physics or higher mathematics, but very curious about theoretical physics nonetheless. I've been reading various articles about the speed-of-light and I came across a statement that intrigued me: Everything travels at the speed of light.

 

Now, I realize that most of this motion for everyday objects is diverted in both the time and space directions, so that theoretically an object at rest is traveling through spacetime at light-speed through the time direction while light travels at this speed through space.

 

But my question is this: "objects at rest" that travel at the speed-of-light through time DO NOT apply to me sitting here at my desk, correct, since I am moving with the orbit of the earth? These "objects at rest" traveling at 100% light though the TIME DIMENSION ONLY only apply to hypothetical objects in a vaccuum (like empty space), and not anything here on Earth?

 

Please tell if I am right or wrong on this. And if I am wrong, please elaborate objects at perfect rest and give me an example (all travel is done through time and none through space).

 

Thanks!

 

There is no way to tell if one is truly at rest in space, meaning at rest relative to the entirety of the universe.

 

But it is funny that you mentioned this constant motion. I thought of it many years ago as well, prior to finishing grade ten, and ended up with the popular equations which are still accepted up to this day. However, everyone that has read my web page description of it, said that the idea was a load of trash. There has been nothing but 100% rejection for many years now ?

 

Apparently, these days if you come up with an idea that creates equations such a the Lorentz Fitzgerald Contraction Equation, the Time Dilation Equation, the Lorentz Transformation Equations, and the Velocity Addition Equation, then prepare to be crucified.

Edited June 6, 2008 by Phi for All
Removed link advertising personal site