Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around the concept of stopping or slowing down light, referencing various articles and scientific studies. Participants explore the implications of such phenomena, including potential applications in quantum computing and the relationship to established theories like relativity.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Technical explanation
- Debate/contested
Main Points Raised
- One participant recalls an article about stopping or slowing light but cannot find it, seeking further information.
- Another mentions a previous topic on Physics Forums regarding light standing still and offers to search for it.
- Several participants suggest conducting a Google search for articles related to stopping light, providing specific links to resources.
- One participant references an article in Scientific American about slowing down a beam of light, though the exact issue is not recalled.
- Another participant confirms the existence of an article in Scientific American's Physics Special Edition about a team from MIT freezing light (photons).
- There is a mention of using Bose-Einstein condensate in the process of slowing light.
- One participant expresses skepticism about the feasibility of slowing light, suggesting it contradicts the theory of relativity, which is based on the constant speed of light.
- Another participant counters that light can be absorbed or its frequency altered, such as through red-shift or blue-shift.
- One participant clarifies that the process involves freezing the light's wave-front into a steady state within an atomic condensate, arguing that this does not contradict relativity.
- There is a distinction made between slowing the group velocity of the wave and the individual photons themselves.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants express differing views on whether slowing light contradicts relativity, with some asserting it does not while others remain skeptical. The discussion includes multiple perspectives on the nature of light's speed and the implications of slowing it down.
Contextual Notes
Participants reference various articles and concepts, but specific details about the studies or the definitions of terms like "slowing down light" are not fully resolved. The discussion reflects a range of understanding and assumptions about the physics involved.
