does that really mean that space is really so constantly twisting and turning that SOL can't be exceeded?
IANAP, but I've never read that space twists to prevent the SOL from being exceeded. I think you're thinking of time and mass. It would require an infinite amount of time or infinite acceleration to for something to accelerate to the speed of light relative to something else.
Space is twisted by the presence of matter, and we call that gravity.
If it's photons emitting from flashlights pointed in opposite directions relative to each other, then are they compressing space as they travel so as not to exceed the speed of light
No. My understanding is that from the point of view of a photon time is completely stopped. Nothing moves relative to it because of this. Since nothing moves relative to it, nothing is exceeding the speed of light relative to it.
IANAP, but I've never read that space twists to prevent the SOL from being exceeded. I think you're thinking of time and mass. It would require an infinite amount of time or infinite acceleration to for something to accelerate to the speed of light relative to something else.
Space is twisted by the presence of matter, and we call that gravity.
If it's photons emitting from flashlights pointed in opposite directions relative to each other, then are they compressing space as they travel so as not to exceed the speed of light
No. My understanding is that from the point of view of a photon time is completely stopped. Nothing moves relative to it because of this. Since nothing moves relative to it, nothing is exceeding the speed of light relative to it.