Relativistic velocity: When 1 + 1 = 1

Anyone who has driven a car has an intuitive understanding of how velocities add. Two cars, heading towards one another head-on at a velocity, have a closing velocity of twice that velocity. It’s all very simple and yet at very high speeds this intuition is just wrong.

In this video, Fermilab’s Dr. Don Lincoln explains how to add velocities in a relativistic environment. It’s weird and wonderful and mind-bending.

Related videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB1QFUCga0I