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Ducks, Aether, & Quantum Foam
May 9, 2013 at 1:06 pm
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck.
Scientists used to believe that electro-magnetic waves propagated in a mysterious substance called, ether (later to be spelled 'aether' as a form of ridicule). It seems to me, that what some physicists call quantum foam meets nearly all the criteria previously attributed to aether. So is there any real difference between aether and quantum foam?
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RE: Ducks, Aether, & Quantum Foam
May 9, 2013 at 1:25 pm
The aether was a medium where electro-magnetic waves propagate, like water waves propagate on water, seismic waves propagate on rock, etc...
The quantum foam is something that can affect how the electro-magnetic waves propagate, but it's not the medium.
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RE: Ducks, Aether, & Quantum Foam
May 9, 2013 at 1:28 pm
Well its predicted by the theory of general relativity.
Quote:According to Einstein's theory of general relativity, energy curves space time. This suggests that—at sufficiently small scales—the energy of these fluctuations would be large enough to cause significant departures from the smooth space time seen at larger scales, giving space time a "foamy" character.
There is a certain amount of data that seems to support it, nothing conclusove but its early days.
Quote:The MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov) telescopes have detected that among gamma-ray photons arriving from the blazar Markarian 501, some photons at different energy levels arrived at different times, suggesting that some of the photons had moved more slowly and thus contradicting the theory of general relativity's notion of the speed of light being constant, a discrepancy which could be explained by the irregularity of quantum foam.[3] More recent experiments were however unable to confirm the supposed variation on the speed of light due to graininess of space.[4]
Other experiments involving the polarization of light from distant gamma ray bursts have also produced contradictory results.[5] More Earth-based experiments are ongoing[6] or proposed
They keep looking for conclusive proof and it is a long way from being disproven.
Interesting times.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_foam
You can fix ignorance, you can't fix stupid.
Tinkety Tonk and down with the Nazis.
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RE: Ducks, Aether, & Quantum Foam
May 9, 2013 at 2:33 pm
(This post was last modified: May 9, 2013 at 2:50 pm by Anomalocaris.)
(May 9, 2013 at 1:06 pm)ChadWooters Wrote: If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck.
Scientists used to believe that electro-magnetic waves propagated in a mysterious substance called, ether (later to be spelled 'aether' as a form of ridicule). It seems to me, that what some physicists call quantum foam meets nearly all the criteria previously attributed to aether. So is there any real difference between aether and quantum foam?
Tear up the bible, stop grasping at the fucking decoy ducks, pursue a real corriculum in physics, and then you may ask.
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RE: Ducks, Aether, & Quantum Foam
May 9, 2013 at 8:05 pm
(May 9, 2013 at 2:33 pm)Chuck Wrote: Tear up the bible, stop grasping at the fucking decoy ducks, pursue a real corriculum in physics, and then you may ask. So now, according to you, a believer isn't even allowed to ask a question. Do you ever stop being a complete ass?
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RE: Ducks, Aether, & Quantum Foam
May 9, 2013 at 8:17 pm
If it looks like an ass...
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RE: Ducks, Aether, & Quantum Foam
May 10, 2013 at 1:38 pm
(This post was last modified: May 10, 2013 at 1:39 pm by downbeatplumb.)
(May 9, 2013 at 8:17 pm)catfish Wrote: If it looks like an ass...
You're probably holding a mirror.
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
You can fix ignorance, you can't fix stupid.
Tinkety Tonk and down with the Nazis.
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RE: Ducks, Aether, & Quantum Foam
May 10, 2013 at 4:52 pm
I suppose it's flattering that so many theists bring their hard Quantum Mechanics and Cosmology questions to atheists instead of physicists. A short answer is, yes there is a real difference, but the ubiquitousness of QF is a similarity.
For a more in-depth answer to your question than 'luminiferous ether was falsified by the Michaelson-Morley experiment and QF isn't a proposed medium for the propagation of EM waves', try here:
http://scienceforums.com/index.php?app=c...mMainBar=1
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