According to our current understanding of physics, it is not possible for an object with mass, such as a person, to travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum. The theory of relativity, proposed by Albert Einstein, sets a cosmic speed limit at the speed of light, denoted by "c."
As an object with mass accelerates, its energy increases, and its relativistic mass also increases. As an object approaches the speed of light, its mass would theoretically become infinite, requiring an infinite amount of energy to accelerate it further. This phenomenon is described by the relativistic equation:
E = mc² / √(1 - v²/c²)
where E is the energy, m is the rest mass of the object, v is its velocity, and c is the speed of light. As the velocity v approaches c, the denominator approaches zero, and the energy required approaches infinity.
Additionally, as an object approaches the speed of light, time dilation occurs. Time for the moving object appears to slow down relative to a stationary observer. This effect becomes more pronounced as the object's speed approaches c. From the perspective of the moving object, time would pass normally, but for an external observer, it would appear to slow down.
The consequences of traveling faster than light, such as time reversal or violation of causality (cause and effect), would lead to logical inconsistencies and paradoxes within our current understanding of physics. For these reasons, it is widely believed that faster-than-light travel is not possible for objects with mass within the framework of conventional physics.
However, it is important to note that our understanding of the universe is not complete, and there may be phenomena or concepts yet to be discovered that could provide new insights and expand our understanding of physics. Speculative theories, such as wormholes or exotic particles called tachyons that travel faster than light, have been proposed in the realm of theoretical physics. However, their existence or practical application remains speculative and requires further scientific investigation.