[TML] White Dwarfs, Black Holes & 100 Diameters

[Jeff Zeitlin]

On Mon, 5 Nov 2007 15:30:25 +1100, Timothy Little wrote:

>The only way to avoid this problem is to define the operation of jump
>in terms of some external reference frame.  It is probably not a
>solution to say that the reference frame is fixed by the origin and/or
>destination stars, since stars also have different velocities.

>One potential solution could involve some property of the galaxy (or
>even universe) as a whole defining the reference frame of jump.  This
>could enable retaining both relativity and FTL in the setting without
>time travel.

Ummm... No.  This is specifically giving up relativity; the whole point
of relativity was that there IS no preferred frame of reference.  You're
trying to establish one here.

As Leonard is so fond of saying (or words to that effect), "Causality,
Relativity, FTL - pick any two.".

My problem with the entire relativity-causality-ftl problem has been
that C, the speed of light in vacuum, has been treated as privileged,
without an adequate explanation as to WHY.  If (assume FTL) I can
achieve effective speeds greater than C, why am I doing my observations
with plain old C-capped methods?  I'll get my information on the state
of the universe via the same FTL method, and if I do, all of the
paradoxes appear to fall away.