The Paradox Thread

Mr. Charlie · 10-30-2013, 04:09 PM

Cool thread. The impossibility of measuring, or infinity within, a coastline, or in this case a piece of string, is explained in this BBC documentary:

Mr. Charlie · 11-03-2013, 01:29 PM

These aren't really paradoxes but are not worthy of their own thread, so I'm sticking them in here.

We don't really touch anything. Burn yourself on a hot coal, stroke a cat, cut your finger off with an axe, swim in the sea, you haven't touched any of those objects. What you really feel is electromagnetism.

Light is invisible. Shine a laser through a vacuum, it's invisible. All we can see are the things light strikes, not the light itself. Those battles in space full of laser beams in films like Star Wars and Star Trek, it wouldn't look like that.

midnight rain · 11-04-2013, 06:51 PM

Well this was an interesting bump.

I wish I was as inquisitive now as 3 years ago.

Mr. Charlie · 11-05-2013, 04:31 PM

What killed your naturally inquisitive mind? The grind of modern life?

Dulce · 11-06-2013, 09:34 AM

Gimme the answer for what does E equalls M C square? rest in peace, Albert Einstein.

Plankton · 11-06-2013, 09:59 AM

If you're traveling the speed of light and you shine a flashlight ahead of you, what happens to that flashlights' beam of light?

Does light have the same principals of velocity that solid matter does?

Mr. Charlie · 11-06-2013, 10:18 AM

It's a good question. My understanding is the flashlight wouldn't emit a beam of light and that neither photons nor particles of matter can exceed the speed of light. However, recent research seems to suggest that information (in the experiment in question, it's information shared between two entangled photons) can exceed the speed of light. And that begs the question what is the information their sharing made from?

Here's an article on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_entanglement

If we could somehow understand it and employ it to move real life matter, interstellar travel may become a reality.

Plankton · 11-06-2013, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Charlie

It's a good question. My understanding is the flashlight wouldn't emit a beam of light and that neither photons nor particles of matter can exceed the speed of light. However, recent research seems to suggest that information (in the experiment in question, it's information shared between two entangled photons) can exceed the speed of light. And that begs the question what is the information their sharing made from?

Here's an article on it: Quantum entanglement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If we could somehow understand it and employ it to move real life matter, interstellar travel may become a reality.

Well, thats the 2nd intelligent answer I've ever had after posing this question, and I've asked this for many years. I usually get the "Deer caught in headlights" look. The first was from a friend with a Phd in physics. However, it's my understanding that the beam of light would double in speed, but then again this really isn't a paradox is it.

I hate math.

Mr. Charlie · 11-06-2013, 11:34 AM

I am driving my car at the speed of light and I turn on my headlights. What do I see?

Seems we're both wrong. The person travelling (close to) the speed of light would see a normal beam of light but it wouldn't exceed the speed of light.

I love science but I never really know what I'm talking about because all I can do is repeat second hand information and form a vague and shadowy understanding based on the experiences of others, never knowing whether what I heard or read is true or even likely to be true. But then again, I think everyday life is a bit like that too, whether we realise it or not.

midnight rain · 11-06-2013, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Charlie

What killed your naturally inquisitive mind? The grind of modern life?

Hey,

yeah personal stuff I'm facing. I've been too focused on internal crises (guess I'm still questioning things just on a smaller scale)

^ Good discussions above though, keep it up

11-06-2013, 09:59 AM	#36 (permalink)
Plankton Just Keep Swimming... Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: See signature... Posts: 7,765	If you're traveling the speed of light and you shine a flashlight ahead of you, what happens to that flashlights' beam of light? Does light have the same principals of velocity that solid matter does? __________________ See location...

11-06-2013, 10:18 AM	#37 (permalink)
Mr. Charlie Shoo Thoughts Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: These Mountains Posts: 2,308	It's a good question. My understanding is the flashlight wouldn't emit a beam of light and that neither photons nor particles of matter can exceed the speed of light. However, recent research seems to suggest that information (in the experiment in question, it's information shared between two entangled photons) can exceed the speed of light. And that begs the question what is the information their sharing made from? Here's an article on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_entanglement If we could somehow understand it and employ it to move real life matter, interstellar travel may become a reality. Last edited by Mr. Charlie; 11-06-2013 at 10:41 AM.

10-30-2013, 04:09 PM	#31 (permalink)
Mr. Charlie Shoo Thoughts Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: These Mountains Posts: 2,308	Cool thread. The impossibility of measuring, or infinity within, a coastline, or in this case a piece of string, is explained in this BBC documentary:

11-03-2013, 01:29 PM	#32 (permalink)
Mr. Charlie Shoo Thoughts Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: These Mountains Posts: 2,308	These aren't really paradoxes but are not worthy of their own thread, so I'm sticking them in here. We don't really touch anything. Burn yourself on a hot coal, stroke a cat, cut your finger off with an axe, swim in the sea, you haven't touched any of those objects. What you really feel is electromagnetism. Light is invisible. Shine a laser through a vacuum, it's invisible. All we can see are the things light strikes, not the light itself. Those battles in space full of laser beams in films like Star Wars and Star Trek, it wouldn't look like that.

11-04-2013, 06:51 PM	#33 (permalink)
midnight rain Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 1,711	Well this was an interesting bump. I wish I was as inquisitive now as 3 years ago.

11-05-2013, 04:31 PM	#34 (permalink)
Mr. Charlie Shoo Thoughts Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: These Mountains Posts: 2,308	What killed your naturally inquisitive mind? The grind of modern life?

11-06-2013, 09:34 AM	#35 (permalink)
Dulce WILDFIRE Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 232	Gimme the answer for what does E equalls M C square? rest in peace, Albert Einstein.

11-06-2013, 11:34 AM	#39 (permalink)
Mr. Charlie Shoo Thoughts Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: These Mountains Posts: 2,308	I am driving my car at the speed of light and I turn on my headlights. What do I see? Seems we're both wrong. The person travelling (close to) the speed of light would see a normal beam of light but it wouldn't exceed the speed of light. I love science but I never really know what I'm talking about because all I can do is repeat second hand information and form a vague and shadowy understanding based on the experiences of others, never knowing whether what I heard or read is true or even likely to be true. But then again, I think everyday life is a bit like that too, whether we realise it or not.