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Physics

Einstein may be wrong about how mirrors travelling at light speed work

In 1905, Einstein discovered a paradox in the predicted behaviour of mirrors travelling at impossible speeds, but it may now have been resolved

By Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

9 February 2024

abstract image of light

How does a mirror travelling at light speed behave? We may now know

Imagine Photographer/Getty Images

Over a century ago, Albert Einstein found a paradox during a thought experiment involving mirrors moving at the speed of light. Now, a new set of calculations may have unravelled it.

“If you search the internet for ‘what would you see in a mirror moving at the speed of light?’ you will find intense discussions on physics-related forums. Curiously enough, none of the proposed answers are correct,” says Sergei Bulanov at the ELI Beamlines Facility in the…

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