On one hand, the speed of light is just a number: 299,792,458 meters per second. And on the other, it’s one of the most important constants that appears in nature and defines the relationship of ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Back in 2018, astronomers examining the ruins of two collided ...

The internet is such a slowpoke. In principle, it should operate at nearly the speed of light, which is more than 670 million miles per hour. Instead, internet data moves 37 to 100 times slower than ...

We wouldn’t notice. Or we’d die. Depends on how much it changed. Relativity already tells us what would happen if the speed of light were to change, and the answer is nothing. Consider a stationary ...

The Parker Solar Probe, currently the fastest human-made object, travels at 0.05% the speed of light (approximately 330,000 mph). Reaching 1% the speed of light requires an immense amount of energy ...

The speed of light varies in materials, impacting fiber optics, laser systems, and semiconductor lithography through complex ...

Chris Impey receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Hearst Foundation. Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, ...