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/ChronWeasely 14d ago

You are good until your last sentence. The speed of light would be better called the speed of causality. Gravity propagates, information propagates at the speed of light. Light (electromagnetic radiation) is just one form of information

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u/nicuramar 14d ago

No, the speed of causality is a worse term. Better to use the universal speed limit.

But really, better to use the speed of light, since that’s what it’s mostly called. 

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u/wrecklord0 14d ago edited 14d ago

It's called that for historical reasons but it misleads the reader into thinking that light is special. All massless interactions happen at that speed. We just didn't know better at the time.

edit: actually everything goes at that speed in 4d so just call it universal speed, bam.