I'm pretty sure nobody cares ...

[Alex_B]

where's alex b?

Busy posting images of the big TPF meet-up

Anyway, Quantum Physics and Special Relativity are not to be mixed as easily as some in this thread might want to. Both are two physical theories with totally different limits in their application. To combine both into one theory sort of works (introducing tensors of wave functions instead of wave functions) .. but only sort of. If then you try to combine quantum physics and general relativity (as needed for proper cosmology) .. then you are in deep trouble and at the forefront of modern physics.

One cannot just take equations from one theory and mix them with equations from another theory. Things are much more complicated.

 

[abraxas]

Busy posting images of the big TPF meet-up

...

One cannot just take equations from one theory and mix them with equations from another theory. Things are much more complicated.

I'm not smart enough to know if you meant me, but last night was crazy.

I'm not looking forward to tonight being any better. Don't be surprised if you find a poll in the morning:

A: Big Crunch
B: Big Freeze

I got to say, I'm all for "A."

 

[Hertz van Rental]

Read it. Special relatively doesn't have anything to do with the medium the light is passing through. That's not what I was talking about anyway. I meant the theoretical speed of light in a vaccum.

You have still missed my point.
What you observe depends entirely upon your position as observer relative to what you are observing.
If you are in a black hole the light appears to behave differently than if you observe it from outside the black hole.
That was the point I was making with the glass and has everything to do with Einstein.

As for mixing Quantum Physics and Special relativity - theoretical science is largely a matter of looking at data and trying to explain it by means of a model. If the model explains the data and accurately predicts other results then you might have something. The people who most often get right(ish) answers are the ones who think 'outside the box'. Einstein was one such. I'm sure most scientists of the time would have told him that he would not find an explanation for how gravity, light and time inter-relate by riding on a tram, but he did it anyway.
We are just as likely to come up with a unification theory that works as anyone else

 

[Senor Hound]

I've found discussing quantum physics to be a lot more fun when you're higher than a kite. Of course, I don't do that anymore, so I really don't find it as interesting as I once did.

I heard somewhere that going faster than the speed of light was POSSIBLE, but that it would affect time in some way or another (possibly jump into the future)?

Truthfully, I'm not sure how they come up with this sort of stuff anyway. I mean, its based on current physics, but as an amateur philosopher, I can't see how applying current rules of physics to things that happened billions of years ago really makes much sense.

In a more mind-bending sense, there's a concept out there (similar to skepticism), that says the universe was created five minutes ago, and was created with preconceived notions, memories, and other forms of history. I know its probably not true (but its not disprovable), but its just something to really have fun with.

 

[Josh66]

In a more mind-bending sense, there's a concept out there (similar to skepticism), that says the universe was created five minutes ago, and was created with preconceived notions, memories, and other forms of history. I know its probably not true (but its not disprovable), but its just something to really have fun with.

For all you know, you could just be a brain in a jar... If somebody knew how to wire it and fed it the right stimuli.

 

[GeorgiaOwl]

I'm pretty sure I can prove the universe wasn't created five minutes ago. I watched an episode of Deadliest Catch last night, so that blows that theory.


The theory I subscribe to is that God created it. One way or the other, we'll all find out sooner or later.

 

[Alpha]

You have still missed my point.
What you observe depends entirely upon your position as observer relative to what you are observing.
If you are in a black hole the light appears to behave differently than if you observe it from outside the black hole.
That was the point I was making with the glass and has everything to do with Einstein.

As for mixing Quantum Physics and Special relativity - theoretical science is largely a matter of looking at data and trying to explain it by means of a model. If the model explains the data and accurately predicts other results then you might have something. The people who most often get right(ish) answers are the ones who think 'outside the box'. Einstein was one such. I'm sure most scientists of the time would have told him that he would not find an explanation for how gravity, light and time inter-relate by riding on a tram, but he did it anyway.
We are just as likely to come up with a unification theory that works as anyone else

I am not missing the point. I think we're just talking about two different things. Yes, light can slow down in things other than a vacuum. But special relativity is based upon light having a maximum constant speed of ~3x10^8 m/s in a vacuum, and nothing else being able to move faster. Not slower. What makes quantum tunneling such a quandary is that it appears to violate this rule of special relativity. Relativity cannot be used to explain why something moves faster than the speed of light because it is based upon the fundamental principle that nothing can travel faster than light in a vacuum.

 

[abraxas]

...
No final answer has been given yet.

My research has continued thusly;

The Great Gazoo is a tiny, green, floating alien, having been exiled to Earth from his home planet Zatox as punishment for having invented a doomsday machine, a weapon of immense destructive power, a button which would destroy the universe if pressed, though he insists he had no intent of using it.

There's some other stuff, but I'm running short on time,...

 

[Mitica100]

I thought posting about big bang was forbidden on this for... errrm... Wait! What big bang are we talking about??

 

[Senor Hound]

I thought posting about big bang was forbidden on this for... errrm... Wait! What big bang are we talking about??

The one that DOESN'T feature Jenna Jameson...