Faster Than Light

Background

Faster Than Light (FTL) refers to the movement of matter, energy, or information at speeds that surpass the speed of light in a vacuum, commonly denoted as c. In accordance with Einstein's theory of relativity, traveling at or beyond light speed is fundamentally impossible for objects with mass, as it would require infinite energy. Nevertheless, numerous works of fiction portray characters or technologies achieving FTL movement, defying the well-established limits of modern physics.

Also Called

• Superluminal Travel
• Beyond-Light-Speed Motion
• Transluminal Motion

Possible Applications

• Near-instantaneous travel across vast cosmic distances
• Evading time dilation effects during space travel
• Enabling faster-than-light communication or data transfer
• Bypassing conventional physics for advanced combat or transportation

Practical Uses

• Fictional interstellar exploration, such as warp drives or jump gates
• Tactical maneuvering or high-speed combat techniques in science fiction universes
• Conceiving metaphysical or higher-dimensional travel concepts

Variations

• True FTL Motion: Moving directly faster than light, such as the traversal of matter or energy beyond 299,792,458 m/s. This often violates causality and requires immense or even infinite energy.
• Apparent or Effective FTL: Achieved by manipulating or warping spacetime (e.g., wormholes, Alcubierre drives), effectively reducing the distance traveled rather than increasing actual speed. Although locally subluminal, these methods can appear superluminal to distant observers.
• Information FTL: Involves hypothetical scenarios where information or signals travel faster than light (such as quantum entanglement misinterpretations or speculative faster-than-light communication).

Possible Limitations

• Infinite Energy Requirement: Attaining FTL speeds under normal conditions would require infinite energy, rendering true FTL impossible within conventional physics.
• Causality Violations: True FTL travel implies paradoxes such as backward time travel, leading to logical contradictions and instability.
• Physiological Stress: Fictional portrayals may ignore or gloss over the immense stresses or catastrophic energy levels involved.
• Physical Realism: According to general relativity, faster-than-light travel contradicts observable and theoretical principles; thus, it remains purely speculative in real-world physics. This could cause the usage of it in these series to break apart reality.

Users

Some examples of characters or technologies in fiction that demonstrate or utilize FTL travel include:

• Characters equipped with warp drives, hyperspace engines, or stargates.
• Entities capable of manipulating spacetime to traverse the cosmos.
• Beings who ignore or bypass the speed of light through metaphysical or magical means.