Re: Scientific Questions
IIRC photons have a very small mass and a very high momentum. With a larger sail (not THAT big, several hundred meters) you can gain very high speed over time because of the constant pressure applied by the light. However, it would be very hard to navigate with such a sail as you can only sail with the photons (i.e. away from the nearby sun) and have no force (like friction) to "cruise" lake a real ship can in water.
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For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's futures. And we are all mortal. - JFK
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