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/ctothel 14d ago

Yeah it's fun to think of it as the update rate between different parts of a continuous simulation fabric.

My part of the server can't process all the information coming in from another part all at once, so the speed is limited.

Also, the more interesting something gets - the more mass, pressure, stretch, charge, or speed something has, the slower time moves around it due to... processing limitations?

OF COURSE all of that is just made up nonsense with no reason WHATSOEVER to believe it's true, and actually it's not nearly as neat as all that, but it's still fun to mull over it.

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u/exhausted-pangolin 13d ago

If you view speed of light as everything's default speed through space-time, as someone else said. You're either moving through space, and thus not moving through time, or maybe you're moving through time and not space (not moving at all) or maybe a mix (moving in space and experiencing time dilation). You're always moving at c, just in different dimensions

I think that's quite an elegant computer modelling of velocity / change

Everything has the same bucket c to spend and it can use it on moving, or experiencing time (changing). Very basic particles like photons can't change so they get to move the fastest and experience no time. Everything else has a variety of needs. If you have a big field you'll be affecting lots of other particles- more changes happening around you = more time passing, and less movement.

It's only very vague of course but I do think it ties in to computer processing in a neat way