44 replies to this topic

[Calvary]

Scientists slow the speed of light http://www.bbc.co.uk...w-west-30944584

...absolutely incredible. How is this not international front page news!?!?!?

[Affray]

Awesome.

 

Today it is only a few millionths of a millimetre, a decade from now maybe they will figure out how to stop it completely.

[Big_T]

That's cool.
Does that open the possibility then, that stars and other objects in outer space could potentially be different distances than we have currently recorded (using the speed of light as measurement - which is apparently  exactly 299,792,458 metres per second)

[Mrs-Heno]

Thats unbelievable. Perhaps are Aliens or exoplantets closer as we think.

[Big_Willie_Styles]

International front page news is based on what sells paper. This is important but not "BREAKING NEWS!!!" in the same context as the fall of the Yemeni government, which also happened this week.

[Affray]

I think he knows exactly why it isn't headlining world news.

It comes off as more of a "I am annoyed that amazing scientific progression isn't celebrated by everyone worldwide".

[Big_Willie_Styles]

I think he knows exactly why it isn't headlining world news.

It comes off as more of a "I am annoyed that amazing scientific progression isn't celebrated by everyone worldwide".

Most people don't really understand it. Most people, if we're honest, when told about it will go "Hey, that's kind of cool."

 

The media is filled with people who don't understand much of science or economics. We don't need them giving Facepalm-worthy analysis of another thing they don't understand.

 

The implications of this are pretty amazing. But most people don't follow news nearly as closely as many of us here.

[Affray]

Never underestimate people.

Despite the glaring obviousness of human stupidity, which is made far more accessible by the internet, we are getting smarter and smarter as a race.

I think more people would understand high end science, at least in principle, than you would believe.

[No-Danico]

Awesome.

 

Today it is only a few millionths of a millimetre, a decade from now maybe they will figure out how to stop it completely.

 

No! If we stop light, how will I television? HOW WILL I TELEVISION?

[Big_Willie_Styles]

Never underestimate people.

Despite the glaring obviousness of human stupidity, which is made far more accessible by the internet, we are getting smarter and smarter as a race.

I think more people would understand high end science, at least in principle, than you would believe.

While they may understand the basic principle of "speed of light slowed," they probably don't understand the implications like a person with a degree in astrophysics would.

 

It sounds cool and all, but it's outside my wheelhouse (and most people's wheelhouse.)  I'll leave it to somebody with more understanding of the topic to explain it to me.

[Affray]

No! If we stop light, how will I television? HOW WILL I TELEVISION?

Direct beam right in to the visual cortex of the brain.

I mean really, if we get to the point that we can bring light to a complete stop, we certainly must have direct to brain image transference as well.

 

 

While they may understand the basic principle of "speed of light slowed," they probably don't understand the implications like a person with a degree in astrophysics would.

 

It sounds cool and all, but it's outside my wheelhouse (and most people's wheelhouse.)  I'll leave it to somebody with more understanding of the topic to explain it to me.

Well, understanding does not spread by deciding that only certain people get access to it because they "probably don't understand the implications".

Sure most people won't grasp it fully, or even care.

But there are more than enough people that would not only understand, but get excited.

Advanced knowledge being present and widely displayed can do nothing but benefit.

[No-Danico]

Direct beam right in to the visual cortex of the brain.

I mean really, if we get to the point that we can bring light to a complete stop, we certainly must have direct to brain image transference as well.

I use television as a verb and you can't play along with the stupidity? Come on, brother man.

 

Also, when we finally stop light, I will eat them like Skittles.

[Big_T]

I think he knows exactly why it isn't headlining world news.

It comes off as more of a "I am annoyed that amazing scientific progression isn't celebrated by everyone worldwide".

Rhetoric.

[Calvary]

I use television as a verb and you can't play along with the stupidity? Come on, brother man.
 
Also, when we finally stop light, I will eat them like Skittles.

I was going to say something but I left it a bit late

[Affray]

I use television as a verb and you can't play along with the stupidity? Come on, brother man.

 

Also, when we finally stop light, I will eat them like Skittles.

For whatever reason I didn't even rationalise that as a stupid thing.

My friends speak with similar oddity enough that I think I just accept it as normal speech and continue the conversation.

 

I wonder what Skittles made of pure light would taste like.

 

 

Rhetoric.

As in I failed to use it?

[Silver_rose]

Awesome.

 

Today it is only a few millionths of a millimetre, a decade from now maybe they will figure out how to stop it completely.

 

While it may be interesting to see the effect of such a thing, what probably would be more interesting would be to see if a photon could be "reshaped" to go faster than the speed of light.

 

If you can do it one way, why not the other?

[Affray]

While it may be interesting to see the effect of such a thing, what probably would be more interesting would be to see if a photon could be "reshaped" to go faster than the speed of light.

 

If you can do it one way, why not the other?

I like that pattern of thought.

It sounds an awful lot like warp speed to me.

Which I super want to happen.

[Calvary]

Man, I didn't even think about that, but how would they track something going faster than what we know possible?

[Coconut Man]

Well, light is a wave, and the speed of a wave is determined by the medium through which it travels. Think of how sound travels faster through water and steel than it does through air. Find a medium in which light travels faster is my suggestion, although I'm sure people much smarter and more qualified than me have considered that idea and tested it already.

Additionally, scientists have already succeeded in stopping light. Albeit not in which the manner you're talking about, but I still feel it's noteworthy.

[Mrs-Heno]

Faster than light? Is that possible?

Albert Einstein said, an object in the Speed of the light has a infinite size.