Not quite sure if this'll answer what you're asking, but according to current theories on quantum physics, everything is a WAVE of POTENTIAL particles. If you've got a spare 5 minutes, watch this (and yes, I know its a very simplified explanation of quantum physics but I like it because just about anyone can understand it).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc

That's where I got my question from. I haven't seen that for a few years, but that question always stuck. How, or why electrons can have properties of both particles and waves baffles me. Particles, being particles, have mass and therefore shouldn't be able to travel at the speed of light. Light can't exhibit properties of particles because then it shouldn't be able to travel at the speed of light!

This is called wave-particle duality. Essentially, all pieces of energy and matter display wave-like and particle-like behavior. It's an important concept in quantum mechanics because the terms 'particle' or 'wave' aren't really the best for describing behavior of super small objects. Also, whether something is a particle or a wave depends on how it's being observed.



Why shouldn't a particle photon (the unit name for light) be able to travel at the speed of light? The speed of light is the speed of a photon. It's also important to note that energy and matter are the same thing.

Why would the particle act differently just because it is being observed? A mind of its own maybe? :blink:

I know NOTHING about quantum physics except for what's explained in that video, so I'd like it as well if someone a bit more educated in the subject could explain.

Personally, I think that maybe it just has something to do with the fact that once it's been observed, there's a record (memory) of the direction its going, and once it's been recorded, it can't change its path, if that makes sense. But again, I hope someone more educated on this could shed some light.

There's always a why. We just have to figure out what questions to even ask before we can come up with a coherent answer.

Uh...babel fish?
Of course, with babel fish, half of it will be complete crap.

Hopefully if we meet Aliens they dont use the same language as the ones off of Signs. I would have a helluva hard time asking about their home world.

As Jack mentioned, it's a concept in quantum mechanics known as wave / particle duality. You've probably seen the double-slit experiment videos. If you haven't yet seen a documentary called "What the Bleep Do We Know?" I highly recommend it. It's a very good introduction to basic concepts like that. Not that the concepts are basic -- but they're introductory to quantum mechanics.

I don't pretend to understand it myself. And my own personal musings have no basis in science -- not yet anyway. I'm an arm-chair physicist, and make no claims to be an expert, just an interested party.

Personally, I think the observation effect on quanta of light has something to do with unpotentiated realities. That is, all things unseen and unobserved are in a state of infinite probability. When they are observed, the state resolves into a finite and discrete outcome. That's on the quantum particle level -- not like, on cows and [censored]. Anyway, just my personal belief from theories I've heard. Then there's spiritual stuff mixed in, when never flies well in a scientific discussion.

I just started watching the new V series. Good stuff. Also isn't there a theory where matter would never reach the speed of light? Just energy?

Matter and energy are the same thing. Matter is just really concentrated energy.

It's a bit more than a theory, as far as I know its pretty much a fact. The faster you want to make an object go, the more energy you have to invest in it, unless its light, in which case it moves at the speed of light without using any energy (not sure if I'm right about that part). Anyways, for any solid matter, reaching the speed of light would require an infinite amount of energy.

Some particles are massless - photons being one of those. In fact, all matter exhibits some wave-like properties, not just separated particles flying around, but it's only noticeable when the particles in question are really really small and flying around separated from other matter, like electrons flying around in a particle accelerator. It's just like no matter how small your acceleration and velocity there will always be time dilation and other relativistic effects affecting you, but it's only really noticeable when you (or something else) travel(s) at really high velocities, relatively close to the speed of light.

Let us just ask Baba Vanga, who predicted the rest of time: (the English in this is rather crappy... I believe it was an auto translation)

2010 ? World War III. War will begin in November 2010 and end in October 2014. Will begin as usual, then nuclear will be used initially, and then chemical weapons.

2011 ? As a result of the fallout of nuclear fallout in the northern hemisphere will not be any animals or vegetation. Then Muslims will wage war against chemical surviving Europeans.

2014 ? Most people will suffer skin cancer and other skin diseases (a consequence of chemical warfare).

2016 ? Europe almost lonely (empty).

2018 ? New China becomes a world power. Developing countries in turn operated from exploiters.

2023 ? A little bit of change in the Earth's orbit.

2025 ? Europe still little settled.

2028 ? Creating a new energy source (probably a controlled thermonuclear reaction). Hunger is gradually being overcome. Launched a manned spacecraft to Venus.

2033 ? The polar ice are melting. Greater levels of the oceans.

2043 ? The world economy is thriving. In Europe, Muslims rule.

2046 ? any bodies (organs) can be manufactured (cloning?). Replacing the bodies is becoming one of the best methods of treatment.

2066 ? During the attack on the Muslim Rome, the United States used a new kind of weapon ? the climate. The sharp cooling (instant freezing).

2076 ? Classless Society (communism).

2084 ? The restoration of nature.

2088 ? A new disease ? aging for a few seconds!

2097 ? The rapid aging defeated.

2100 ? Artificial sun illuminates the dark side of the Earth.

2111 ? People become living robots.

2123 ? The war between small nations. Big nations do not intervene.

2125 ? Hungary will receive signals from space.

2130 ? Colony under water (with the help of sympathetic councils).

2164 ? Animals turn half-human.

2167 ? A new religion.

2170 ? Major drought.

2183 ? A colony on Mars becomes a nuclear power, and demands independence from the Earth (like when ? the United States from England).

2187 ? Will stop 2 large eruption of volcanoes.

2195 ? Sea Colony fully developed, abundant energy and food.

2196 ? Complete mixing of Asians and Europeans.

2201 ? At the Sun slowing thermonuclear processes. Temperature drops.

2221 ? In the search for extraterrestrial life, humanity comes into contact with what ? something terrible.

2256 ? Spacecraft forgotten to Earth terrible new disease.

2262 ? Planets gradually changing planetary orbit. Mars is threatened by comets.

2271 ? Restart physical constants are changed. (Laws of physics changed?)

2273 ? Mixing yellow, white and black races. New race.

2279 ? Power from nothing (probably from a vacuum or a black hole).

2288 ? Travel back in time (Time Travel invented?). New contacts with aliens.

2291 ? The sun cools. Attempts were being made to light it again.

2296 ? Powerful eruption on the Sun. Changing the force of gravity. Beginning to fall old space stations and satellites.

2299 ? In France, guerrilla movement against Islam.

2302 ? New important laws and secrets of the universe revealed.

2304 ? Secrets of the Moon revealed.

2341 ? Something terrible is approaching Earth from space.

2354 ? An accident in one of the artificial Sun leads to drought.

2371 ? The great famine.

2378 ? A new fast-growing race.

2480 ? 2 artificial Suns collide. Land in the twilight.

3005 -The war on Mars. Violated the trajectory of the planet.

3010 ? Comet hits Moon. Around the Earth ? ring/zone of the stones and dust.

3797 ? By this time on Earth killed all life, but mankind will be able to lay the foundations for a new life in another stellar system.

3803 ? A new planet is populated by little. Fewer contacts between people. Climate new planet affects the organisms of people ? they mutate.

3805 ? The war between humans for resources. More than half of people dying out.

3815 ? The war is over.

3854 ? The development of civilization virtually stops. People live flocks as beasts.

3871 ? New prophet tells people about moral values, religion.

3874 ? New prophet receives support from all segments of the population. Organized a new church.

3878 ? along with the Church to re-train new people forgotten sciences.

4302 ? New cities are growing in the world. New Church encourages the development of new technology and science.

4302 ? The development of science. Scientists discovered in the overall impact of all diseases in organism behavior.

4304 ? Found a way to win any disease.

4308 ? Due to mutation people at last beginning to use their brains more than 34%. Completely lost the notion of evil and hatred.

4509 ? Getting to Know God. The man has finally been reached such a level of development that can communicate with God.

4599 ? People achieve immortality.

4674 ? The development of civilization has reached its peak. The number of people living on different planets is about 340 billion. Assimilation begins with aliens.

5076 ? A boundary universe. With it, no one knows.

5078 ? The decision to leave the boundaries of the universe. While about 40 percent of the population is against it.

5079 ? End of the World.

---------

I, for one, responded with a massive laugh. It's interesting, nonetheless

Likewise. That was very funny.

"And today a ufo landed on the lawn of the presidential residence in Budapest... because they were lost."

No no no...

"And today a ufo landed on the lawn of the presidential residence in Budapest, because Hungarian turned out to be the exact same language the aliens spoke."




'Tis a joke...

Interstellar alcohol?

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=AMNHorg#p/u/0/17jymDn0W6U

That's one of the better ones out there.

I laughed too. Also, was this guy legit?

I definitely believe their is life on a different planet. Do I think we will ever meet them? Possibly, but that will happen after the Earth is destroyed. Think about it. Would it make sense that in an infinitely large universe, there is only one habitat ed planet?

Scientifically, it wouldn't make sense for us to be alone in the universe. Some religious beliefs would probably oppose the idea though.

... DUUUDE... We are TOTALLY not alone.

I think you got it backwards there budy.