If a man is driving a car at the speed of light, and he turns on his car's lights, does anything happen?

Question

btw, I don't know the answer, I want to know what you think.

Answer 1

im pretty sure the "popos" will be after him

Answer 2

The lights would come on. It's not the same as breaking the speed of sound in an airplane. Picture this.....

Lets say that a fighter plane can fly as fast as a speeding bullet. Does that mean he'll run over his own bullets if the pilot fires his gun? NO. Because the bullets are traveling at the same speed as the airplane before they are fired out of the gun. That means when the bullets are fired they will travel at TWICE the speed as a bullet fired from a gun that isnt moving at all.

Same thing with the headlights. The light would be traveling at twice the speed of normal light. That doesnt mean that the human eye could actually SEE the light though but i'd give it a look to find out.

Answer 3

He would be dead for one thing since his lungs could not handle the pressure of going that fast. And his car would fall apart as well from the same thing so nothing.

Or you could ask Steven Wright, the author of that quote!

Answer 4

You can only answer relative to a frame of reference. (That's why it's called "the theory of relativity").

The car is moving at the speed of light in relation to some other body. Let's say it's a planet.

The driver of the car will see the beam of light moving away from the car at the speed of light (or close to it), the way you see it when you drive on the road.

A person standing on the planet would see the car and light travelling at the same speed. They might not see a beam of light in front of the car.

Also, space and time change as you approach the speed of light. So, speed (which is distance divided by time) may not mean the same thing to both observers.

My brain hurts. I need some more coffee.

Answer 5

He gets pulled over, and a physics argument ensues.

Answer 6

the light cant go forward because the light once emitted is independent of itself.

Answer 7

Nothing would happen the light wouldnt go behind you it dosnt mean that kind of light. lol.

Answer 8

he will still see the light from the car headlights. The reason is the speed of light measured by person standing still and another moving at any velocity is the same. This is basis for Einsteins theory of relativity.

Answer 9

i think the light would fly backwards, because you are going faster then it. Btw this is an interesting q, you get a star :)

Answer 10

i think the light would appear to be backward (in direction) to an outside observer but the driver would be able to see it..

neat q!...

Answer 11

the light would not appear as you would be going the same speed as it... or it will normally turn on the lights. Either or.

Answer 12

Nothing 'new' will happen.  The speed of light has already been achieved by the lights, so there shouldn't be a change.

Think about it, you're going the speed of light, well if you turn a light on, it's already going that speed.  

Einstein believed that if we go the speed of light we could travel in time.  But light doesn't travel in time, so how could we?  We'd probably implode from force, but I don't think we'd travel through time...that's a totally different question anyway. Sorry, I ramble...

Answer 13

sabotage - beastie boys

Answer 14

This is why there's a gas crisis!  People are trying to break the laws of physics!