Instant communication of information with a long long pole?
Alright, this was just a random question that popped into my head. Let’s say you have a long, LONG pole, that stretches from Earth to Neptune. Let’s also say that the pole is made out of diamond, and so is one big macromolecular structure, incompressible.
Say I have a Neptunian friend who wants to know whenever Man U scores a goal in the UEFA Champions League 2050, played on Earth. But it would take minutes before the information was transmitted to him via TV/radio, because information can only travel at the speed of light. So we rig this special long pole and connect it from my house to his house, across the solar system. We agree that we would both hold each end, and when Man U scored, I would push the pole, using it to give him a nudge, so he’d know.
I watch the match, and when Man U scores, I push the pole. Now, doesn’t he feel the nudge immediately? What’s the flaw with this reasoning that contradicts the special theory of relativity?
the problem is, it’s not "incompressible".
nothing is.
some things are almost so, to the degree that it seems to be.
but his sound wave analysis is correct.
Hmmmm, i wonder what the speed of sound is in diamond?
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