Experiment proves Doppler effect exists even for individual molecules

Thanks to the beauty of scientific cooperation between nations, our ability to perform complex experiments like this is continuing to expand. While it may seem like a minor discovery, there are profound implications in both the findings themselves and the fact that we (humans) were able to make them.

"There is plenty of evidence of the rotational Doppler effect in large bodies, such as a spinning planet or galaxy," Thomas said. "When a planet rotates, the light coming from it shifts to higher frequency on the side spinning toward you and a lower frequency on the side spinning away from you. But this same basic force is at work even on the molecular level."

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At this tiny level, they found, the rotational Doppler effect can be even more important than the linear motion of the molecules, the study showed.

www.eurekalert.org...

I'm also struck by the continuing evidence for an incredible symmetry in the cosmos between the vast and miniscule. I am an atheist, but I'm a Carl Sagan kind of atheist rather than a Richard Dawkins kind (though I respect all non-violent zealots, whatever their cause, in this hideously apathetic world). The wonder and mystery of the universe fulfills my need for the world to be more than just, as Dylan Moran described adulthood, wandering around in a desert with a bag over your head being bumped into by people who rob you as they bore you. For me, the though that each tiny molecule in my body is spinning in the same way as enormous distant galaxies, subject to the same laws, is comforting and satisfying for reasons I can't quite explain.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if it turns out this universe is itself a living entity of some kind -- would you?

Originally posted by sepermeru
I wouldn't be at all surprised if it turns out this universe is itself a living entity of some kind -- would you?

edit on 10-5-2011 by sepermeru because: edit button likes my hair this way

Nope, I wouldn't. But it makes me wonder. Is our human presence being welcomed by this entity, or does it see us as virulent particles which need to be stopped in time before it spreads throughout the entity?

Was there reason to expect the Doppler effect to -not- work at the molecular level?

I mean... kudos to people for testing something rather than presuming - but it seems kind of ... duh?

Perhaps it is merely my ignorance of the specifics of this segment of science that makes my statement so obtuse.