The speed of light in a vacuum, denoted by the symbol "c," is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second (or about 186,282 miles per second).
According to our current understanding of physics based on Einstein's theory of relativity, no object with mass can travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum. This principle is known as the "universal speed limit." As an object with mass accelerates, its energy and momentum increase, and as it approaches the speed of light, its mass also appears to increase. The energy required to accelerate the object further also increases. To reach or exceed the speed of light, an object with mass would require an infinite amount of energy, which is not feasible.
If an object were to travel faster than the speed of light, it would violate causality, meaning it could potentially lead to situations where effects precede their causes. This would result in a breakdown of our understanding of cause and effect, leading to logical inconsistencies and paradoxes.
One well-known consequence is the "twin paradox." Suppose you have a pair of twins, and one twin embarks on a journey through space at a speed close to the speed of light while the other twin remains on Earth. When the traveling twin returns, they would have experienced less time than the twin who stayed on Earth due to time dilation effects. This demonstrates how traveling near the speed of light can lead to time appearing to pass more slowly for the moving object relative to a stationary observer.
Overall, the idea that nothing can travel faster than light has been a fundamental principle in physics for many decades, and it has significant implications for our understanding of the universe.