Q&A: Does It Seem Strange to You That the Speed of Light Does Not Depend on the Observer?
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Does It Seem Strange to You That the Speed of Light Does Not Depend on the Observer?
Question
Hello Rabbi,
We’re used to the fact in everyday life that when I run toward some object that is itself moving, then my running speed affects the object’s relative speed with respect to me. For some reason, if I run after a beam of light, that is not the case, and it will always appear to move at the same speed relative to me, no matter how fast I run toward it. Doesn’t that seem strange to you? How did people even arrive at such strange ideas?
Best regards,
Answer
It seems very strange, but that is the fact. It is not an idea but a fact, and facts are arrived at through science and measurement.