Speeding facts vs fiction

[bogan]

You're right. Given that both bodies are travelling at velocities of relativistic magnitude the collision would be seriously destructive.

I was assuming that the speck of dust or bee would be at rest (or at least at a velocity of non-relativistic magnitude).

At rest with respect to what? Tis all relative remember.

[swbarnett]

The observer of course.

[bogan]

The observer of course.

Yeh but the idea behind relativity, is the observer has to be able to be anywhere, without noticing effects of velocity. Put it this way, you have an observer next to the speck of dust, and reckon since the dust has no vel it just gets pushed aside? but if said observer is sitting in the spaceship, said dust is oncoming at lightspeed and will wreck shit. Shit don't work like that.

[swbarnett]

I think we're getting into trouble applying Newtonian principles to relativistic speeds. I'll have to ask my wife. She's the physicist.