Submitted by starfyredragon t3_zmt3lg in askscience
Chemomechanics t1_j0icfp0 wrote
Reply to comment by Pipe_Dry in Does rotation break relativity? by starfyredragon
The scissors example is particularly interesting (relative to the thought experiment of pushing a long rod) because no part of the scissors can move faster than light, and the mechanical wave that causes the scissors to close can't move faster than light, but the point of first intersection or overlap between the two blades (i.e., the point where cutting starts with ordinary scissors) can move faster than light. There's no object corresponding to that point, just a geometrical abstraction.
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