Light: The Connection to Life & the Universe

[Mattius_]

An incredibly loose thought, which i do not care to think about any further, is expressed here...

The Bible fames light a lot... It characterizes light as a life giving component and a gift.

Light, physically, is possibly the most fundamental component of our universe.

a connection, vague at best, but just something to think about.

any other additional thoughts?

 

[jammieg]

We instinctively fear the dark because it's unknown and the unknown prompts fear.

 

[Sikz]

The bible (as well as inumerable other texts) "characterizes light as a life giving component and a gift." The real reason that this is done is that light illuminates things to our senses (sight). Where there is light we can see what is before us, we know that which was hidden, we can be sure of our footing and our safety. Thus life is symbolicly used by virtually all peoples to represent good things.

However, I believe your idea had to do with the possible connection between light's use in such texts and reality, regardless of the motivations of those who wrote the texts in question.

Light, physically, is possibly the most fundamental component of our universe

Technicly light is one of 16 (1 of which may or may not actually exist) "most fundamental" components of our universe (barring antiparticles). The others are electrons, electron-neutrinos, up quarks, down quarks, taus, tau neutrinos, top quarks, bottom quarks, muons, muon neutrinos, strange quarks, charm quarks, weak gauge bosons, gluons, and gravitons (gravitons are the ones that may not actually exist). Light, as you probably know, is comprised of photons- it is electromagnetic. Electromagnetism is one of the 4 fundamental forces of the universe.

Heh, sorry for the lengthy recitation of elementary particles. In any case, light is indeed one of the most fundamental components of our universe (although not THE most fundamental component). I would be inclined, though, to disregard this connection. Light as used in figuritive writing and light as used in physics are two very different things. The difference (if your interested) is that writers use light from the HUMAN perspective: how it pertains to our lives and actions. Science uses light from a UNIVERSAL perspective: its large scale effects on physics as a whole.

In any case, it is an interesting connection, but I wouldn't put too much weight on it.

 

[Mattius_]

The intriguing thing i thought was that light to me,(before physics) wasnt that great of a phenomena... I guess maybe back in those times it was. Light brought food, warmth, and security, which some inherently to me these days...

 

[Sikz]

Yes, current technology and wealth greatly reduces our appreciation of light. Nowadays you can have all the light you want by flipping a switch, you can control your heat to the exact degree with air conditioning and heaters, you have all the food you could ever need. Light used to provide all of these.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Originally posted by Sikz
Technicly light is one of 16 (1 of which may or may not actually exist) "most fundamental" components of our universe (barring antiparticles). The others are electrons, electron-neutrinos, up quarks, down quarks, taus, tau neutrinos, top quarks, bottom quarks, muons, muon neutrinos, strange quarks, charm quarks, weak gauge bosons, gluons, and gravitons (gravitons are the ones that may not actually exist). Light, as you probably know, is comprised of photons- it is electromagnetic. Electromagnetism is one of the 4 fundamental forces of the universe.
Heh, sorry for the lengthy recitation of elementary particles. In any case, light is indeed one of the most fundamental components of our universe (although not THE most fundamental component). I would be inclined, though, to disregard this connection. Light as used in figuritive writing and light as used in physics are two very different things. The difference (if your interested) is that writers use light from the HUMAN perspective: how it pertains to our lives and actions. Science uses light from a UNIVERSAL perspective: its large scale effects on physics as a whole.
In any case, it is an interesting connection, but I wouldn't put too much weight on it.

Humm, let's see E = mc² so energy is equal/proportional to Matter, times the speed of light-squared, hence all matter is actually made up of bound light, ergo Light is THE most important, and fundamental element of the universe, as ALL MATTER, all of those "particles" listed above, are constituted from it, as either energy, or light, as (bound) electromagnetic waveform!

 

[Eh]

Originally posted by Mattius_
Light, physically, is possibly the most fundamental component of our universe.

Not really, since the universe could exist without it. It isn't fundamental at all. It just so happens to be the most important force that life depends on. No wonder ancient myths put so much importance on it.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Originally posted by Eh
Not really, since the universe could exist without it. It isn't fundamental at all. It just so happens to be the most important force that life depends on. No wonder ancient myths put so mucn importance on it.

Thats kinda really wrong, as the universe if full of light, just it is known as EMR.

 

[Eh]

What does that have to do with whether the EM field is fundamental to the existence of the universe? I say it doesn't, since you could in theory at least, take away that field and still be left with a universe, abeit a darker one. This is not true of a more fundamental field (gravitational) where if you were to somehow switch it off, all other fields and all matter would vanish with it.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Originally posted by Eh
What does that have to do with whether the EM field is fundamental to the existence of the universe? I say it doesn't, since you could in theory at least, take away that field and still be left with a universe, abeit a darker one. This is not true of a more fundamental field (gravitational) where if you were to somehow switch it off, all other fields and all matter would vanish with it.

And if gravity is simply a part of the EM field?? then all is of that EM field, hence "most fundamental" is EMR.

 

[Eh]

The gravitational field is not part of the EM field. In fact, we're almost taking about 2 different fields here. The classic field is a distribution of some value throughout spacetime, and in the case of the EM, where the strength is zero there is no field. But the gravitational field is unique in that even when the strength (in this case curvature) is zero, the field still exists as flat spacetime. In this way the gravitational field is fundamental in that it can exist without matter but not vice versa.

Even all forces can be shown to be a part of one unified field, the point can still be made the EM field aspect is not fundemental, in that it need not be functioning for the universe to exist. This not true of the gravitational field however, as it is the background of spacetime itself which the EM field is contingent upon.

 

[scott_sieger]

From what I have observed at least half the worlds population believe and believe they know that there is also what is call crystaline light or chakra light. In it's full it is white and the bodies energy systems rely on it at a quantum light level.

I find it is easier for us in the west to think of it as the light of the imagination like when you dream for instance the dreams are usually in colour and of coarse are lit with light.

Some other persons recognise what is called astral light. Which is supposed to be the emmination of Gods light.

so light appears to have many many dimensions to it

A way to look at it with physics in mind is to think of visible light as having a parallel intensity that drops way down low into the realms of quantum.