Universe Expansion

[bigred05]

If the universe is 14 billion years old and has been accelerating all that time why have we not reached the speed of light yet?<br />The speed of light is less than 1 billion mph, so the acceleration of the universe is far less than 1 mile per hour per year. If its accelerating so slowly how can we tell its accelerating at all?

 

[vogon13]

It's all relative. You don't note your own.<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[frobozz]

The speed of light is a "limit" of possible speeds, only in that it is the upper bound. However, this upper bound is not attainable as the set of speeds that can be realized does not actually include C unless you are already travelling at that speed. So, assuming I didn't do more harm then good with my explanation, that would be why we don't notice ourselves moving at light speed relative to the other objects in the universe.

 

[jatslo]

Is the universe expanding at the rate of dissipation?

 

[frobozz]

Which is in no way to same as saying that we notice ourselves moving at the speed of light relative to other galaxy's. The explanation given does not rule out any speed except for the speed of light itself.