According to our current understanding of physics, as based on Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, it is not possible for any object with mass to travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum. The speed of light in a vacuum, denoted by "c," is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second (or about 186,282 miles per second).
There are a few reasons why faster-than-light travel is considered impossible:
Mass and Energy: As an object with mass accelerates, its energy increases according to the equation E = mc^2, where E is energy, m is mass, and c is the speed of light. As an object approaches the speed of light, its energy requirement to accelerate further becomes infinite. Therefore, it would require an infinite amount of energy to propel an object with mass to or beyond the speed of light.
Time Dilation: As an object approaches the speed of light, time dilation occurs, which means time slows down for that object relative to a stationary observer. As the object's velocity approaches the speed of light, time dilation becomes more significant. This effect prevents an object from reaching or surpassing the speed of light from the perspective of an external observer.
Causality and Relativity: The theory of relativity maintains that information and causal influence cannot travel faster than light. If an object were to move faster than light, it could potentially violate the causal order of events, leading to paradoxes such as time travel or violations of cause and effect.
It's worth noting that there are speculative concepts and theories, such as wormholes and certain solutions to Einstein's equations, that have been proposed as ways to bypass the light-speed limit. However, these ideas remain theoretical and require significant advancements in our understanding of physics to determine their feasibility and practicality.
For now, based on our current knowledge, faster-than-light travel is considered beyond the realm of possibility.