<P> The first hypothesis regarding faster - than - light particles is sometimes attributed to German physicist Arnold Sommerfeld in 1904, and more recent discussions happened in 1962 and 1969 . </P> <P> Tachyons have appeared in many works of fiction . They have been used as a standby mechanism upon which many science fiction authors rely to establish faster - than - light communication, with or without reference to causality issues . The word tachyon has become widely recognized to such an extent that it can impart a science - fictional connotation even if the subject in question has no particular relation to superluminal travel (a form of technobabble, akin to positronic brain). </P>

Where did the term god speed come from