This was mentioned and illustrated in Scientific American years ago. I think you are right: the point moves FTL. -- Can any information move faster than light? Suppose you put a four inch long wooden dowel between your finger and the doorbell, and push the bell. Pressure from your finger is passed to the doorbell button. Now imagine a dowel a few million kilometers long; push it, and -- will the push arrive at the doorbell instantaneously, as if the dowel were not there, or at the speed of light? Anyone?
Cause of the fire
on
Apollo 1
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
I used to work for the company that made some or all (don't know which) of the wire in the Apollo module. At one point, it was suggested that our wire caused the fire: the insulation was said to flow under pressure, thus becoming thin and allowing for a spark. All that was required was that the wire be stretched across a hard, rather sharp edge. Our company lived in dread of bad publicity, and we talked of the charges in hushed tones only. There was a very unpleaeant feeling associated with any mention of the topic...not because people died, but because the bigwigs were afraid of being blamed. Some insulation flows under pressure, some does not. Wrong insulation for that wire? If so, who chose the insulation? There is a strong tendency both to place blame on someone and to do all you can to cover your behind.....that sort of "It was not my fault, he did it" attitude was the company's motto. I hated working there.
Slashdot Mirror
This was mentioned and illustrated in Scientific American years ago. I think you are right: the point moves FTL. -- Can any information move faster than light? Suppose you put a four inch long wooden dowel between your finger and the doorbell, and push the bell. Pressure from your finger is passed to the doorbell button. Now imagine a dowel a few million kilometers long; push it, and -- will the push arrive at the doorbell instantaneously, as if the dowel were not there, or at the speed of light? Anyone?
I used to work for the company that made some or all (don't know which) of the wire in the Apollo module. At one point, it was suggested that our wire caused the fire: the insulation was said to flow under pressure, thus becoming thin and allowing for a spark. All that was required was that the wire be stretched across a hard, rather sharp edge. Our company lived in dread of bad publicity, and we talked of the charges in hushed tones only. There was a very unpleaeant feeling associated with any mention of the topic...not because people died, but because the bigwigs were afraid of being blamed. Some insulation flows under pressure, some does not. Wrong insulation for that wire? If so, who chose the insulation? There is a strong tendency both to place blame on someone and to do all you can to cover your behind.....that sort of "It was not my fault, he did it" attitude was the company's motto. I hated working there.