Light bends matter, surprising scientists

Great article.

Einsteins famous equation proved energy and matter are one in the same, but many failed to grasp the full implications of that in any real applications. What we're seeing here might be better called a result of energy affecting energy, but the scientists themselves still see matter and energy as seperate things, and would naturally be confused how something non physical could affect something physical.

o my god you think its the UV rays that effect your skin and not the light ???
lololol UV rays are a part of light light ranges from UV to inferred not all light is in the visiabilty range of humans.
a snake has no trouble picking up infered

Originally posted by OrphenFire
I'm not really a physicist, but I believe that light is simply supercharged matter. That is, a photon is a supercharged particle of matter. Hence I believe that if you travel at the speed of light, you become light. It's not so much that you have enough energy to travel that fast and it turns you into light, it's a matter of your atoms becoming so supercharged that they become photons and you essentially are light, and able to move at the speed at which photons travel (the speed of light).

This, to me, explains why photons have the properties of both a particle and a wave. It is not simply "both" of them, it is something else entirely. What was once a particle became a "wave" of light, an entirely different phenomenon: photons.

This entire post makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. How do you "supercharge" matter? What does that even mean?

And why would a particle of mass (like an electron, or a proton) transform into a photon when it reached the speed of light? Photon's have LESS energy than a particle of matter, not more. The amount of energy (governed by E=mc2) in a single particle of matter like an electron is orders of magnitude higher than the amount of energy in a single photon.

For example, when you light a match and the flame gives off orange light, what you're seeing are the tiny quanta of energy (photons) being released when the electrons in the match head move to a lower orbital energy, and release the extra energy of the higher orbit in the form of light. The amount of energy in the actual electron itself is incomparably higher.

The last line (which I've put in bold) is especially perplexing. I suggest you re-read your high school physics textbook, as I'm sure that would be sufficient to clear this problem up.

I have only read the first few comments, so I'm not sure if someone's already said this, but this really makes a lot of sense when you think about the implications of the most famous equation in modern science, e=mc^2

What makes this equation so important is that it shows that mass is simply a manifestation of energy. c^2 is a constant, so if you know mass, you know how much energy the same mass can be converted into, and vice versa. Probably the best example is an atomic bomb, where mass is instantly converted into energy, making the huge explosion.

What this formula is saying is that mass is energy in a material form. So, if we already know that mass bends light, then it makes sense that light would also bend mass, right? Light is pure energy.

What quantum mechanics is trying to prove, and has a lot of evidence for, is that everything in the universe is made of the same exact particles when you zoom in far enough. Well, not everything i guess; antimatter has been proven to exist, and it is believed that for every bit of matter there is another bit of antimatter (although we can't seem to find nearly enough antimatter as there should be, but that is another discussion), and so for every particle there is an anti-particle (anti-photon, anti-quark, etc.). This follows the same principles that define everything else we know about the universe: that everything has an opposite, like with charge in protons and electrons.

Alright i just got way off-topic with anti-matter; gonna post something about it that I just thought

I thought only in soviet russia did light bend you!!!

All kidding aside this is pretty cool. Probably the building blocks to space travel.

reply to post by postmeme


Hello post me
, you shouldn't judge others on a subject you obviously know little about. Tell me do you believe in time travel. Either way I would like you to give us all your reasons why. Since you seem to have such a strong opinion on the subject. To the point where you want someone banned over asking a reasonable question. As light is an important part of the whole time travel process. If you have any skills within the field of thinking outside of the box I would be astonished to see you waste more than two lines of bandwidth with a retort!!!
PEACE
JC


[edit on 25-3-2010 by consciencious observer]

[edit on 25-3-2010 by consciencious observer]

Originally posted by Alexander the Great
reply to post by xxcalbier

 

Welle I think it's the UV raysv or somthing that affect your skin, not the alight.

UV, or ultraviolet IS light, at a wavelength just short of light that we see and a little longer than x=rays. It is one type of ionizing radiation, and , therefore, can cause damage to tissue.
Actually, all light carries energy. The amount of energy of a photon is equal to its frequency times a constant, Planck's constant. The lower the wavelength, the higher the frequency and therefore the energy, Radio waves are very long wavelength and therefore very low energy. Cosmic gamma ray radiation has been detected coming from the Crab Nebula at 10^27 hertz. That carries enough energy to damage or destroy DNA in an unprotected cell Microwave radiation in your oven is at 2450 MHz, much lower than gamma radiation. The effects of gamma rays are what changed Dr. Bruce Banner into The Amazing Hulk.

[edit on 25-3-2010 by 4nsicphd]

Interesting, so the whole 2012 thing with the sun solar flares upgrading matter might have more creditability now. If light, the product of a sun can manipulate matter who is to say we won't become light beings at some point. There is biblical reference to peoples face glowing after spending time in heaven.

hmm so light is not only energy but a catalyst to change matter, but we know how the nanomaterial changed from flat to spires, but what is the significant's of spires they seem to be everywere in nature, why spires why not squares or spheres or any other shape, could it be they are easier to deconstruct from both ends, is everything wich has spires in it's basic stucture realy just built for change. It seem's that nature does not like to be constant.

This is old news, but one can achieve great power if harnessed properly.

double post - delete

[edit on 25-3-2010 by magnetix]

Originally posted by RedBird
This entire post makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. How do you "supercharge" matter? What does that even mean?

And why would a particle of mass (like an electron, or a proton) transform into a photon when it reached the speed of light? Photon's have LESS energy than a particle of matter, not more. The amount of energy (governed by E=mc2) in a single particle of matter like an electron is orders of magnitude higher than the amount of energy in a single photon.

For example, when you light a match and the flame gives off orange light, what you're seeing are the tiny quanta of energy (photons) being released when the electrons in the match head move to a lower orbital energy, and release the extra energy of the higher orbit in the form of light. The amount of energy in the actual electron itself is incomparably higher.

The last line (which I've put in bold) is especially perplexing. I suggest you re-read your high school physics textbook, as I'm sure that would be sufficient to clear this problem up.

"Supercharge" is a pseudoterm that I used to explain what I am thinking about in my head. As I said, I am not a physicist, nor do I have any background in physics, I was simply theorizing something based upon the limited understanding I have in the field (none). What I imagine is matter becoming so incredibly excited that it transcends its "natural" form, that of measurable mass, and becomes what we call photons. A photon's energy actually depends on its wavelength. The fact that photons have less energy than a single particle of matter tells me that a single particle would perhaps "explode" into many photons that together would equal the energy of the single particle. I think this also could be why we see a release of photons when particle and antiparticle annihilation occurs.

Originally posted by fnord
this basically proves that light indeed has mass, but, it could only have mass when observed.

It doesn't prove that at all. The photon is the guage boson for electromagnetic radiation, which in certain wavelengths, is light.
It is unquestioned that it travels at the speed of light, or 3X10^8 meters/second in a vacuum. If it had mass it could not attain that speed, since for particles that hve mass, mass increases with velocity, according to the asymtotic equation : mass (moving) equals the rest mass divided by the square root of 1 minus (the square of the velocity divided by the speed of light squared.) As velocity increases to near the speed of light, the last part of the divisor approaches 1, making the whole divisor ever smaller making mass of the moving particle ever higher. Finally, when v=c, making the divisor 0, and the moving mass is infinite. The force needed to accelerate an infinite mass is itself infinite, so only a massless particle or wave or wave-particle can go the speed of light. Tht is why the LHC is using about 120 megawatts if power, or enough to power 150,000 households. That is to accelerate a hydrogen nucleus, which at rest weighs almost nothing, to 99.99999% the speed of light.

Originally posted by postmeme

Originally posted by Gentill Abdulla
reply to post by Alexander_Supertramp

 

(Like I have said many times) You can use light to make a time machine. The real question is how. But ,fortunately for me, nobody knows. RATHER than me of course.

Hey Mods, how is this guy able to get away with his claims like this? This guy should have been banned long ago.

Actually, if you did some research, you'd realize that the idea of using light to time travel has made it to the main stream of cutting edge physics.

Ever hear of a physicist named Ronald Mallet? The OP might be playing with words, because the idea is not a secret. Surely your ignorance in a subject shouldn't be a reason to ban a member, would it?

Originally posted by consciencious observer
reply to post by postmeme

 

Hello post me
, you shouldn't judge others on a subject you obviously know little about. Tell me do you believe in time travel. Either way I would like you to give us all your reasons why. Since you seem to have such a strong opinion on the subject. To the point where you want someone banned over asking a reasonable question. As light is an important part of the whole time travel process. If you have any skills within the field of thinking outside of the box I would be astonished to see you waste more than two lines of bandwidth with a retort!!!

PEACE
JC


[edit on 25-3-2010 by consciencious observer]

[edit on 25-3-2010 by consciencious observer]

Sorry but I simply can't let that one slide by unchallenged. Put me down as a +1 in agreement with postmeme. CO I suggest you look a little deeper into the complete train wreck that is our pre-pubescent member Gentill Abdulla. thanks for your contribution though it was most illuminating

But back on topic...

I'll put my hand up and identify myself as ignorant and uneducated but I feel i have to ask. what other possible causes for these results have been ruled out. I assume they've proven it's not a thermal or turbulence related reaction.

Also I was under the impression that some anomalous orbits/trajectories of space probes had been put down to light pressure from sol years ago.

[edit on 25-3-2010 by spookfish]

Originally posted by fnord
this basically proves that light indeed has mass, but, it could only have mass when observed.

So does that mean that if I sunbathe I will be under heavier conditions than when I move into the shade?

That's really cool, coz next time I get weighed at the doctors I'm taking an umbrella to shade under his harsh office lighting. That'll get my body mass index down!

It's reassuring That I'm not the only idiot commenting on this thread.

reply to post by garritynet


Cadmium Sulfide is also used for photo resistors. Light causes electrical changes in this substance, as the article points out, I can see how that could work, (of course, in hindsight), so they could make a mechanical nano switch (or nano muscle, hinge, etc) with this now huh?

-rrr

Originally posted by OrphenFire

Originally posted by RedBird
This entire post makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. How do you "supercharge" matter? What does that even mean?

And why would a particle of mass (like an electron, or a proton) transform into a photon when it reached the speed of light? Photon's have LESS energy than a particle of matter, not more. The amount of energy (governed by E=mc2) in a single particle of matter like an electron is orders of magnitude higher than the amount of energy in a single photon.

For example, when you light a match and the flame gives off orange light, what you're seeing are the tiny quanta of energy (photons) being released when the electrons in the match head move to a lower orbital energy, and release the extra energy of the higher orbit in the form of light. The amount of energy in the actual electron itself is incomparably higher.

The last line (which I've put in bold) is especially perplexing. I suggest you re-read your high school physics textbook, as I'm sure that would be sufficient to clear this problem up.

"Supercharge" is a pseudoterm that I used to explain what I am thinking about in my head. As I said, I am not a physicist, nor do I have any background in physics, I was simply theorizing something based upon the limited understanding I have in the field (none). What I imagine is matter becoming so incredibly excited that it transcends its "natural" form, that of measurable mass, and becomes what we call photons. A photon's energy actually depends on its wavelength. The fact that photons have less energy than a single particle of matter tells me that a single particle would perhaps "explode" into many photons that together would equal the energy of the single particle. I think this also could be why we see a release of photons when particle and antiparticle annihilation occurs.

Real particle physicists have investigated the results of the super excitation of matter and what you suggest flatly doesn't happen. If fact, highly excited matter becomes more discreetly matter. See Marciak-Kozlowski and Kozlowski, Foundations of Physics, April 1996.Matter has mass, photons do not

It doesn't seem so surprising.

The light pressure has been known for a long time. Photons can exert influence on matter.

Radiation pressure is the pressure exerted upon any surface exposed to electromagnetic radiation. If absorbed, the pressure is the power flux density divided by the speed of light. If the radiation is totally reflected, the radiation pressure is doubled.

The fact that electromagnetic radiation exerts a pressure upon any surface exposed to it was deduced theoretically by James Clerk Maxwell in 1871 and Adolfo Bartoli in 1876, and proven experimentally by Lebedev in 1900[1] and by Ernest Fox Nichols and Gordon Ferrie Hull in 1901.[2] The pressure is very feeble, but can be detected by allowing the radiation to fall upon a delicately poised vane of reflective metal in a Nichols radiometer

en.wikipedia.org...

Originally posted by standingwest
UV's are a component of light, though.

UV rays ARE light. UV=ultraviolet is a spectrum OF light.