Is the Speed of Light a Constant?

[Biffer]

Exactly the same with me. Finished 3rd year electronic engineering, but can't grasp this stuff. Every time I think I am beginning to see some light (pardon the pun), some asshole says something that completely destroys everything I thought I knew.

That’s the key to it though. You’ve got to accept that everything that happens to us, everything that happens on earth, what we see and experience with our own eyes, isn’t the norm. We’re the special case, and most of the universe is different from us.

You have to stop trying to explain and understand it in terms of what’s familiar, because what’s familiar is a very rare exception to what’s normal across most of space.

[Slick]

I always feel humbled by those with a proper grasp of these fundamental aspects of physics.

I have a training in engineering to degree level and have studied maths to a decent standard. So I can understand the language, but the detail of this stuff is boggling.

I’m especially intrigued by (presumably, the theoretical existence of) gravitons. Also singularities. The mathematics of the infinite is another extraordinary topic.

Mind, I’ve been a lawyer for years so that might explain my stupidity.

Exactly the same with me. Finished 3rd year electronic engineering, but can't grasp this stuff. Every time I think I am beginning to see some light (pardon the pun), some asshole says something that completely destroys everything I thought I knew.

For instance that video posted earlier about why c cannot be measured, which I also stumbled on a couple of months ago.

I tend to understand almost every word these quantum scientists say, just not in the sequence they say it.

That last sentence is the bit for me. I love reading about this stuff and take a lot of time to try and understand. I’ll read a bit over and over at night and it will slowly come, it’s almost a euphoric feeling, as if slowly tipping over the horizon to understanding, and I’ll go to sleep chuffed to bits.

Next night I’ll look at the same bit and be back at square one.

Genuinely love it all though

Edit: that sounds like good advice, Biffer, I’ll try it. I think I almost got to that stage on the last book I read about quarks and whatnot

[fishfoodie]

I think googles been spying on me again ... now youtube is suggesting a bunch of MIT OpenCourseWare videos, & I know I'm going to get sucked in

[Grandpa]

According to theory the speed of light cannot be exceeded.

But, you are on a train travelling at, say,100 mph. And you shine a torch out of a window towards the front.

What's the speed of its light?

Lazy much? Look it up, ffs. There are many a youtube video that will explain it to you in very simple terms. It's pretty fundamental and has been covered extensively way before your epiphany.

A more taxing question:- Is the speed of light constant in both directions? Since we can't measure it from point A to B, we can only measure it with a return trip. A -> B ->A. So is the speed from A->B the same as B->A.

I missed this video first time around... it made life just that bit spookier... thanks!

[Grandpa]

Exactly the same with me. Finished 3rd year electronic engineering, but can't grasp this stuff. Every time I think I am beginning to see some light (pardon the pun), some asshole says something that completely destroys everything I thought I knew.

That’s the key to it though. You’ve got to accept that everything that happens to us, everything that happens on earth, what we see and experience with our own eyes, isn’t the norm. We’re the special case, and most of the universe is different from us.

You have to stop trying to explain and understand it in terms of what’s familiar, because what’s familiar is a very rare exception to what’s normal across most of space.

You mean in terms of how we interpret the laws of physics?

[Biffer]

Exactly the same with me. Finished 3rd year electronic engineering, but can't grasp this stuff. Every time I think I am beginning to see some light (pardon the pun), some asshole says something that completely destroys everything I thought I knew.

That’s the key to it though. You’ve got to accept that everything that happens to us, everything that happens on earth, what we see and experience with our own eyes, isn’t the norm. We’re the special case, and most of the universe is different from us.

You have to stop trying to explain and understand it in terms of what’s familiar, because what’s familiar is a very rare exception to what’s normal across most of space.

You mean in terms of how we interpret the laws of physics?

Yeah. Quantum mechanics, relativity, dark energy etc all have no parallels in the world as we experience it. So don’t expect it to make sense in those terms

[Grandpa]

That’s the key to it though. You’ve got to accept that everything that happens to us, everything that happens on earth, what we see and experience with our own eyes, isn’t the norm. We’re the special case, and most of the universe is different from us.

You have to stop trying to explain and understand it in terms of what’s familiar, because what’s familiar is a very rare exception to what’s normal across most of space.

You mean in terms of how we interpret the laws of physics?

Yeah. Quantum mechanics, relativity, dark energy etc all have no parallels in the world as we experience it. So don’t expect it to make sense in those terms

Even at a local level you think this will be true? Within galaxies on planets where life may exist, it's likely the same laws of physics... isn't it? Or you think not even there?

[Torquemada 1420]

According to theory the speed of light cannot be exceeded.

That is incorrect. The Maxwell equations do not prohibit c being exceeded. The equations are symmetrical and so
- it's not possible to >c if your starting velocity <c
- HOWEVER, the reverse is also true. If you are already >c, you cannot then drop below c

How one commences at a state where velocity exceeds c is irrelevant to theory.

[Torquemada 1420]

[Even at a local level you think this will be true? Within galaxies on planets where life may exist, it's likely the same laws of physics... isn't it? Or you think not even there?

Yes. There. That's all still "macro" and st to macro physics rules. Equally, anything at a quantum level on another planet will be the same quantum rules as here.

[Grandpa]

[Even at a local level you think this will be true? Within galaxies on planets where life may exist, it's likely the same laws of physics... isn't it? Or you think not even there?

Yes. There. That's all still "macro" and st to macro physics rules. Equally, anything at a quantum level on another planet will be the same quantum rules as here.

Thanks, that's what I assumed...

[GogLais]

Why are things the way they are?

[Biffer]

Why are things the way they are?

Tories.

[GogLais]

Why are things the way they are?

Tories.

Good God, I know they've been around a while but who knew?

[Cartman]

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