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According to our current understanding of physics, it is not possible for an object with mass to exceed the speed of light in a vacuum. The theory of special relativity, proposed by Albert Einstein, sets the speed of light in a vacuum as an upper limit for the speed of any physical object.

One of the consequences of special relativity is that as an object with mass approaches the speed of light, its energy requirements to accelerate further increase significantly. The object would require an infinite amount of energy to reach or exceed the speed of light, which is not attainable in practice.

However, if we speculate hypothetically and consider what might happen if an object were to exceed the speed of light, it is believed to lead to violations of causality and create paradoxes. It would challenge the fundamental principles of our current understanding of physics.

As for the analogy to a sonic boom, which is a shockwave produced by an object moving faster than the speed of sound, it's important to note that the speed of light is significantly different from the speed of sound. Sound travels through a medium, such as air or water, whereas light travels through a vacuum or other transparent mediums. The physics of light propagation and the formation of shockwaves differ between the two.

In summary, the current scientific consensus is that objects with mass cannot travel faster than the speed of light. If such a scenario were possible, it would have far-reaching consequences that challenge our current understanding of physics.

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