this post was submitted on 11 Feb 2025
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It can look dumb, but I always had this question as a kid, what physical principles would prevent this?

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[โ€“] HonoraryMancunian 9 points 16 hours ago (3 children)

A perfectly rigid object would be usable as a tool of FTL communication

Would it though? I feel like the theoretical limit is still c

[โ€“] [email protected] 15 points 15 hours ago

Yes, that's the point. The limit c denies the possibility of a perfectly rigid body existing physically. It can only exist as a thought experiment.

[โ€“] [email protected] 8 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

What about using c++ or rust?

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 6 hours ago

That'll anger the universe's devs who will then bully you.

[โ€“] davidgro 5 points 15 hours ago

Yes, the speed of sound in an object is how fast neighboring atoms can react to each other, and not only is that information (therefore limited to C already) but specifically it's the electric field caused by the electrons that keep atoms certain distances from each other and push each other around. And changes in the electric/magnetic fields are famously carried by photons (light) specifically - so even in bulk those changes move at the speed of light at most