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Off Topic => Ten Forward => Topic started by: Nemesis on July 06, 2004, 09:25:44 pm

Title: Evidence of the speed of light changing
Post by: Nemesis on July 06, 2004, 09:25:44 pm
Link to article (http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996092)

Quote
The speed of light, one of the most sacrosanct of the universal physical constants, may have been lower as recently as two billion years ago - and not in some far corner of the universe, but right here on Earth.
Title: Re: Evidence of the speed of light changing
Post by: Bonk on July 06, 2004, 10:10:53 pm
If I'm not mistaken, doesn't the velocity of propagation of electromagnetic radiation (light) depend on the "medium" ? (quotes as its self propagating and needs no medium as such) Thus indices of refraction result... (my glasses work on this principle...)

Didn't a Canadian lab recently produce a Bose-Einstien condensate in which the measured rate of propagation of electromagnetic radiation (light) was at the incredibly low value of 33m/s?

I see interpreting a change in alpha as somehwat of a tautology, as Plank's constant was determined empirically by the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with electrons; Heisenberg comes to mind...

I find astronomers and cosmologists make huge leaps of faith that as an empiricist I have a hard time accepting.
Title: Re: Evidence of the speed of light changing
Post by: Just plain old Punisher on July 07, 2004, 02:34:30 pm
It's just being lazy. 5th generation light beams that haven't had any hardship in their lives aren't motivated quite as much.

I blame it on MTV
Title: Re: Evidence of the speed of light changing
Post by: MarianoDT on July 07, 2004, 03:28:33 pm
Quote from: Bonk on July 06, 2004, 10:10:53 pm
If I'm not mistaken, doesn't the velocity of propagation of electromagnetic radiation (light) depend on the "medium" ? (quotes as its self propagating and needs no medium as such) Thus indices of refraction result... (my glasses work on this principle...)

Didn't a Canadian lab recently produce a Bose-Einstien condensate in which the measured rate of propagation of electromagnetic radiation (light) was at the incredibly low value of 33m/s?

I see interpreting a change in alpha as somehwat of a tautology, as Plank's constant was determined empirically by the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with electrons; Heisenberg comes to mind...

I find astronomers and cosmologists make huge leaps of faith that as an empiricist I have a hard time accepting.

Eh???  :help:  ;D

It comes to my mind an episode of Futurama when they said that as they cannot fly faster than light, they simply increased the universe's speed of light ..... ;D

 :screwloose:

Mariano