I Think Faster Than Light Travel is Possible. Here's Why.

The speaker begins by expressing their belief in extraterrestrial life and suggests that the lack of contact might be due to humans being uninteresting. They challenge the common belief that information cannot be sent faster than the speed of light, referencing Einstein's theory of Special Relativity, which posits that the speed of light is constant for all observers. The speaker intends to discuss the possibility of breaking this speed limit and relates it to recent discussions on unexplained aerial phenomena, hinting at the possibility of alien technology bypassing current physical limitations.

The speaker delves into the concept of the speed of light as a limit, arising from the energy required to accelerate an object to such speeds. They explain that as an object's velocity approaches the speed of light, the energy required approaches infinity, leading to the idea that only massless particles like photons can travel at light speed. However, they point out issues with this argument, including the fact that Special Relativity does not forbid faster-than-light travel and the peculiar treatment of infinite energy requirements in this context. The speaker also introduces the concept of mass arising from binding energy and the Higgs field, challenging the conventional understanding of mass in the context of light speed limitations.

The speaker explores the origin of mass, explaining that in the early universe, particles were massless and moved at the speed of light before the Higgs field condensed, giving particles mass. They describe this phase transition, known as electroweak symmetry breaking, as a finite energy event that contradicts the earlier argument about infinite energy requirements. The speaker argues that the traditional explanation of why faster-than-light travel is impossible is flawed, both mathematically and conceptually, and suggests that the real universe's conditions might allow for such travel.

The speaker addresses the common argument that faster-than-light travel leads to time-travel paradoxes, using the example of observers Alice and Bob to illustrate the perceived reversal of time order. They critique this argument by suggesting that the perceived reversal is subjective and does not necessarily imply actual time travel. The speaker then introduces the concept of the 'co-moving frame' from general relativity, which defines a universal rest frame relative to the average motion of matter in the universe, and argues that this frame would prevent time-travel loops, regardless of what an observer like Bob perceives.

The speaker concludes by questioning the established arguments against faster-than-light travel, suggesting that our current understanding of space-time and quantum mechanics may be incomplete. They argue that the need for a theory of quantum gravity indicates that our current theories may not adequately address the possibility of faster-than-light travel. The speaker encourages physicists to reconsider these possibilities and ends with a personal anecdote about the importance of actively engaging with scientific concepts, promoting the use of Brilliant.org for further learning and understanding of these topics.