87GT Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 You might have already read about this on CNN... but some scientists feel they made light travel faster then 186,000 miles per second. http://archives.cnn.com/2000/TECH/space/07/20/speed.of.light.ap/ Cliff Notes: From what I read there is a chamber of cesium atoms in a vapor form in a vacuum. Part of the light wave enters in one side of the chamber, the cesium atoms somehow replicate the light wave and send it out the other side quicker then it came in. By the time the whole light wave enters the chamber the light is already out of the chamber by a good 60 feet. I still don't know in my opinion if that is making light travel faster. Also It has been said that the light loses its intensity but it doesn't distort. So how come it has lost power by the time its out the other side? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImUrOBGYN Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Well, according to the current laws of physics, it's impossible for anything to be faster than light. However, with things like quantum physics, you don't have to go faster than light to arrive somewhere faster. I haven't yet read your posted article to find out the specifics, but I'm off to do that now. Though, so far I agree from your cliff notes that they probably didn't actually speed up the light. Ok, read the article. The diagram at the bottom had about as much info as the article itself. It also explains that they believe the light is being duplicated and sent out the other side; changed by the cesium vapor, not exactly the same light that is originally used. The article also states that the light does distort. Ok, this is how I'll put it. You write a letter and fax it instead of snail mailing it. Yes, the other side of the fax gets the same letter you sent, but not the exact same letter. Thus, destroying the laws of speed of the 'mounted mail carrier'. To further add to this analogy, look how some faxes look when you send them, especially older fax machines. Where the writing is sometime hard to see or smeared. There's your distortion part of the analogy even. lol Anyway, that's the gist I got in a short, not very well explained post. Still not as exciting as quantum physics but what could turn into a great discovery with many applications. Like Aerogel. heh Oh well, Im sure I missed some points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clifford Automotive Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 The fax machine example is a good one. Thats great. All light distorts. If you take a flashlight and shine it in to the sky the light keeps going. You can just only see it to a certain point. As light travels out from its main point it also travels around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87GT Posted August 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 That was a rhetorical question to probe for responses. I knew the answer...light and sound lose intensity the more they travel. I like the fax machine analogy, it is really nice. :woowoo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Karacho1647545492 Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 yeah, even if it is encountering something as unobtrusive as vapor atoms, it is still going to distort more than a vacuum. one thing i was thinking; even if it were possible, wouldn't speeding up lightwaves require a tremendous amount of energy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87GT Posted August 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 one thing i was thinking; even if it were possible, wouldn't speeding up lightwaves require a tremendous amount of energy? I would think so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farkas Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 time travel is possible.. stephen hawking knows how to do it, just can't get it out anymore lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GonneVille Posted August 23, 2007 Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 I think he's sporting a flux capacitor in his wheel-chair..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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