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Basic question about the nature of light and time

 
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Sep18-10, 12:57 AM   #1
 

Basic question about the nature of light and time


Imagine you have a high-speed camera with a capability to record almost near infinite frames per second. Would you be in principle able to record progression of light (I know that light itself is invisible so at least its reflected progression let's say off a room's walls after a light bulb has been lit).

If yes. I would like to know if it is possible to see its progression to be slowed down even for an observer who would have the mental capacity to process that many frames per second of information that would allow him to react to its progression? Wouldn't this violate the law that "all observers see the light moving with the same speed"?
The deeper question behind therefore is if the speed of light is also not depended on our mental capacity of how quickly we can process our input information? With speeds of regular objects this seems to be the case where with the higher frequency of input information processing the time seems to slow down and we are able to see objects moving slower or at least react on them as if they effectively were.
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Sep18-10, 01:41 AM   #2
 
The shutter of the camera can't move faster than the speed of light even in principle ;).
Sep18-10, 02:09 AM   #3
 
Quote by Eynstone View Post
The shutter of the camera can't move faster than the speed of light even in principle ;).
That's OK. I don't want to see the light stop, just to see it slow down a bit on the recording.
Sep18-10, 02:21 AM   #4
 

Basic question about the nature of light and time


Quote by ZirkMan View Post
Imagine you have a high-speed camera with a capability to record almost near infinite frames per second. Would you be in principle able to record progression of light (I know that light itself is invisible so at least its reflected progression let's say off a room's walls after a light bulb has been lit).
No.

Think about it: what if not light itself does a camera record?
Sep18-10, 02:34 AM   #5
 
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Slow light.
Sep19-10, 03:06 AM   #6
 
Silly me. I didn't realize that velocity V=(Δd)/(Δt) so even when you make time run subjectively slower a second will remain a second even when it will last subjectively longer. Therefore the measured velocity will be the same for both types of consciousness.

Btw, the slow light would't help much because as far as I know its slower group speed is caused by its absorption and consequent re-emission as this is the way light moves in those materials.
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