A quantum effect that you can play at home

Status
Not open for further replies.
While I'm having a hard time absorbing this, it is fascinating. The demonstration with three polarizing filters is amazing. I never, ever, would have guessed at the increase of light passing through the third filter. Is entanglement the process that the Chinese are touting they are using for secure communication? I forget, was the communication instantaneous? This is some pretty heavy duty, leap forward, type stuff.
 
I've heard that entaglement is instantaneous transfer, until you try to use it to transfer information, then it gets dragged back down to the speed of light.

Observation affecting the result of experiments hints that consciousness is part of the universal make-up, rather than humans being chemically charged meat robots.
 
That is interesting. What about the nonsensical area that is basis for the idea that because the universe if believed infinite then all possibilities must occur in within an infinite spread of parallel universes? Is that part of String Theory? So, techically in some alternate universe there is a BITOG forum where in all members must send in a photograph of themselves in a clown suit riding a unicycle while juggling tangerines and singing their national anthem? Under String, that would have to be accepted as true and existing or existent at some point in time within that alternate universe? School me.
 
LOL, something like that...I'm not remotely conversant with how the multiple universe that divides at every decision point is supposed to work.

But it reminds me of a quote I like "Give us (science) two big miracles, and we can explain the rest"
 
This only works with a polarizing filter. Use any other type of light filtering device and the more you stack them up, the more light will be blocked.
A polarizing filter's abilities are tied directly to the angle at which the photons hit its surface. In that experiment there is ton's of scattered light particles and I think this has more to do with the phenomenon than any sort of particle entanglement effect or consciousness.
 
Originally Posted By: KrisZ

A polarizing filter's abilities are tied directly to the angle at which the photons hit its surface. In that experiment there is ton's of scattered light particles and I think this has more to do with the phenomenon than any sort of particle entanglement effect or consciousness.


That is a nice summary of my thoughts.
 
Originally Posted By: Rick in PA
While I'm having a hard time absorbing this, it is fascinating. The demonstration with three polarizing filters is amazing. I never, ever, would have guessed at the increase of light passing through the third filter. Is entanglement the process that the Chinese are touting they are using for secure communication? I forget, was the communication instantaneous? This is some pretty heavy duty, leap forward, type stuff.


That is seriously weird , I mean about the clowns ! Too much Stephen King ? Or spicy food before bed & a weird dream ! :-(

The other part , about the polarized light is weird too , but in a much different way .

Just take deep breaths and recite Mmmmmmmm , Mmmmmm , Mmmmmmmmmm. :)

Best to you all , :)
 
Originally Posted By: Rick in PA
Is entanglement the process that the Chinese are touting they are using for secure communication? I forget, was the communication instantaneous?

As Shannow mentioned, when used for communication, it gets dragged back to the speed of light. That was tested in Calgary, and is no surprise. It might be a disappointment, but no surprise.
wink.gif
Nonetheless, even at the speed of light, plenty of applications are possible, at least in the concept stage, such as unlimited distance "WiFi" (at least within Earth type scales; an Earth ISP with a Martian user would have hideous latency) with no concern over building shielding.

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
In that experiment there is ton's of scattered light particles and I think this has more to do with the phenomenon than any sort of particle entanglement effect or consciousness.

As per the subject of the thread, polarization is a quantum mechanical effect. Entanglement just came into the conversation subsequent to that.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
This only works with a polarizing filter. Use any other type of light filtering device and the more you stack them up, the more light will be blocked.
A polarizing filter's abilities are tied directly to the angle at which the photons hit its surface. In that experiment there is ton's of scattered light particles and I think this has more to do with the phenomenon than any sort of particle entanglement effect or consciousness.
+1
 
Here's another odd property of light for you to consider.....

Point a beam of light at a transparent vessel containing a fluid. While inside the fluid, the speed of light will decrease. Once the beam exits the fluid, to continue on its way, its velocity will now be the same as it was before it entered the fluid.
 
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
Here's another odd property of light for you to consider.....

Point a beam of light at a transparent vessel containing a fluid. While inside the fluid, the speed of light will decrease. Once the beam exits the fluid, to continue on its way, its velocity will now be the same as it was before it entered the fluid.

Well OK but it's not as if the intermediate media was causing friction on the photons and causing them to slow in that manner and then somehow they are sped up after exiting. The light is refracted and you're measuring the phase velocity. It's not just in that medium either, it's also moving at the (atmospheric) phase velocity in the atmosphere up until and after it encounters the fluid.

I think it's weirder that some particles can move faster than the photons in those media. In those cases you have a massive particle moving faster than a massless one.
 
Originally Posted By: kschachn
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
Here's another odd property of light for you to consider.....

Point a beam of light at a transparent vessel containing a fluid. While inside the fluid, the speed of light will decrease. Once the beam exits the fluid, to continue on its way, its velocity will now be the same as it was before it entered the fluid.

Well OK but it's not as if the intermediate media was causing friction on the photons and causing them to slow in that manner and then somehow they are sped up after exiting.
I understand this, but many find it counter-intuitive and baffling.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top