Confusing that light is the only wave that doesn't move through

[xirow]

I've always found it confusing that light is the only wave that doesn't move through a medium, is it possible that light does move through a medium, and dark matter is the parts of the universe the medium doesn't extend to.

 

[Legaldose]

Light can in fact move through a medium, and the speed of light is slower in different materials. It's just that it doesn't need a medium.

 

[xirow]

thanks, but my question may have been misinterpreted, what i was asking is if light could be moving through a medium when its in space

 

[Legaldose]

What would it move through? It's been made clear that there is no medium in space, it's just a vacuum out there.

 

[Drakkith]

I've always found it confusing that light is the only wave that doesn't move through a medium, is it possible that light does move through a medium, and dark matter is the parts of the universe the medium doesn't extend to.

No, this is not possible. At least, not as you've put it. It's always possible there is some sort of medium that light travels through, but even if so, light must still obey all the laws we've already observed. After all, we've already observed that it works this way.

As for dark matter, that's definitely not possible. Dark matter is believed to exist practically everywhere in the universe in more or less amounts.

 

[xirow]

thanks, I had no idea dark matter was so prominent

 

[Drakkith]

thanks, I had no idea dark matter was so prominent

There could be some passing through you right now and you wouldn't even know it!

 

[Claude Bile]

I've always found it confusing that light is the only wave that doesn't move through a medium.

Light is not the only wave that doesn't move through a medium. Electrons and other sub-atomic particles can be described by wavefunctions that don't move through a medium.

Claude.