one has disproved it. If the speed of light is not an absolute limit
for space ships, then travel to remote parts of the universe may
someday be possible.

Otherwise, a trip outside our solar system could be a lifetime
expedition. Most space travel would probably be limited to the planets
of our sun--the moon, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and the others.

Although it may be many years before the first manned space ship
leaves the earth, we are already at work on the problems the crews
would face. I learned some of the details from a Navy flight surgeon
with whom I had talked about take-off problems.

"They're a lot further than that" he told me. "Down at Randolph Field,
the Aero-Medical research lab has run into some mighty queer things.
Ever hear of 'dead distance'?"

"No, that's a new one."

"Well, it sounds crazy, but they've figured out that a space ship
would be going faster than anyone could think."

"But you think instantaneously," I objected.

"Oh, no. It takes a fraction of a second, even for the fastest
thinker. Let's say the ship was making a hundred miles a second--and
that's slow compared with what they expect eventually. Everything
would happen faster than your nerve impulses could register it. Your
comprehension would always be lagging a split second behind the space
ship's operation."