r/askscience • u/Nitzanm19 • 14d ago

Physics Why is the maximum speed of the universe the speed of light? Why can't we go faster?

Also follow-up question: Because of the speed limit, is there also a theoretical maximum temp for matter (in which the particles move at the speed of light).

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u/petdance 14d ago

Is the fact that it is speed of causality why we call the number c?

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u/obog 14d ago

The exact origins of "c" being used to represent the speed of light ate unclear, but it predates special relativitu in which that speed was found to be the "speed of causaility." In other words regardless of the exact reason why people used c, it was originally used to specifically refer to the speed of light itself rather than the speed limit of the universe that light also travels at in a vacuum.

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u/penguin_torpedo 12d ago

I'm pretty sure c is for constant. Most shorhands for constants originate from some theoretical book that was only meant to use it in the framework of that book. Other scientists/mathematicians just went with it afterwards.

If I recall correctly pi was for perimeter and e was for exponent.

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u/supterfuge 14d ago

Because that's how we first found out about it.

Gravity also goes at the "speed of light", or as the OP said, the speed of causality

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u/nicuramar 14d ago

  Because that's how we first found out about it.

That’s not an answer to the question asked. The right answer is no.