Understanding Time and Light Slowing: Exploring the Possibilities

[Geekchick]

Alright, so my friend and I were looking at articles on light possibly slowing down and he was saying that the article (http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/08/07/1028157961167.html) was assuming that the matter between the Earth and the quasars is constant. So his reasoning was what if instead of light traveling slower there is simply more matter between the Earth and the stars now? and since light slows as it moves through matter that's what is causing light to look like its slowing down? but I was thinking that since motion slows time isn't it possible that the light and time are slowing at the same rate so that would cancel his theory, right? Can someone explain this to me. Note that I know next to nothing about physics.

thanks!

 

[atyy]

It's not actually about light slowing per se, they presented it that way for simplicity. It's about a change in the "fine structure constant", which is a dimensionless number that is a ratio of several constants including the speed of light, Planck's constant and electron charge. So if the fine structure constant changes, we can say it's the speed of light or Planck's constant or the electron charge or some mixture of them that has changed.

What they measured was also not the speed of light per se. They know that a particular chemical can absorb light of several frequencies. The difference between the frequencies is characteristic of that chemical, and related to the fine structure constant. So in this way they can compare the fine structure constant in stuff far away and "long ago" with the fine structure constant of stuff here and "now".

Although there is some evidence suggesting that the fine structure constant is not constant, the evidence is not (yet?) strong enough to be accepted as "fact".

The fundamental constants and their variation: observational status and theoretical motivations
Jean-Philippe Uzan
http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-ph/0205340

Variation of the constants in the late and early universe
Jean-Philippe Uzan
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0409424

 

[astrokreng]

I would like to address the topic of time and light slowing down and the possibilities that come with it. First, I would like to clarify that the article mentioned in the question is from 2002 and there have been many advancements and discoveries in the field of physics since then. Therefore, it is important to consider more recent research and studies on this topic.

Now, let's address the question about whether light is slowing down or there is simply more matter between the Earth and the stars. The concept of light slowing down is not a new one and has been studied for many years. It is a well-established fact that light travels at a constant speed in a vacuum, which is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second. This has been proven through numerous experiments and is a fundamental principle in physics.

The idea that light may be slowing down due to more matter between the Earth and the stars is not supported by scientific evidence. In fact, it goes against the basic principles of physics. Light travels through matter at a slower speed than in a vacuum, but this does not affect its overall speed. The amount of matter between the Earth and the stars has been taken into account in various experiments and calculations, and it has not been found to have a significant impact on the speed of light.

Now, let's talk about the relationship between motion, time, and light. It is true that motion can affect the perception of time, as described by Einstein's theory of relativity. However, this does not mean that time and light are slowing down at the same rate. The speed of light is constant, regardless of the observer's frame of reference. This means that even if time appears to be slowing down due to motion, the speed of light remains the same.

In conclusion, the idea of light slowing down or time and light slowing down at the same rate is not supported by scientific evidence. The speed of light is constant, and any perceived changes in time or light are due to other factors such as motion or gravitational effects. I would encourage anyone interested in this topic to continue learning about physics and to stay updated on the latest research and discoveries.