this post was submitted on 11 Feb 2025
481 points (94.1% liked)

Asklemmy

45272 readers
1534 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy ๐Ÿ”

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_[email protected]~

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

It can look dumb, but I always had this question as a kid, what physical principles would prevent this?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[โ€“] [email protected] 239 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (26 children)

The problem is that when you push an object, the push happens at the speed of sound in that object. It's very fast but not anywhere near the speed of light. If you tapped one end of the stick, you would hear it on the moon after the wave had traveled the distance.

For example, the speed of sound in wood is around 3,300 m/s so 384,400/3,300 ~= 32.36 hours to see the pole move on the moon after you tap it on earth.

[โ€“] [email protected] 36 points 1 week ago (14 children)

Damn, so that means no FTL communication for now... ๐Ÿ˜…

[โ€“] sbv 31 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Hear me out... What about a metal stick?

[โ€“] [email protected] 22 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Metal is a lot heavier than wood. You'd never be able to lift it to the moon.

[โ€“] [email protected] 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)

But can you lift it from the moon? Gravity is a lot lower there.

[โ€“] [email protected] 15 points 1 week ago

Large if factual

[โ€“] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago

You should make it out of feathers. Steel is heavier than feathers.

[โ€“] sbv 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[โ€“] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago

NASA: "Hold my beaker."

[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago
load more comments (11 replies)
load more comments (22 replies)