The speed of light is NOT a constant?! A milestone in Physics?

[KenWittlief]

Remember you read it on CD first.

People have been kicking around the idea for several years that the constants in physics (the speed of light, the charge of an electron....) may have been changing as the Universe expands.

Now there is more evidence. If this new theory is correct it would be a milestone in our understanding of physics

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/ID/13816702

[Not2B]

Now I have no idea what the speed limit is...

I thought my flashlight was slowing down... and I was just going to replace the batteries.

Seriously, that is a huge thought to contemplate. Sometimes I'm glad that I only deal with newtonian physics, even though it's not PERFECT.

Thanks for the linky.

[Cynette]

Constants that aren't constant?!? The very foundations of my existance are crumbling! Is nothing sacred anymore?

BTW, it looks like now would be a good time to go into the field of physics, if any of you are interested in that area... a total re-write of the laws of physics could take years!

[anna~marie]

Crazy.
Leave it to Ken to post this
Thanks for the link; I really enjoyed the slide show!!!

[dlavery]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

Remember you read it on CD first.

People have been kicking around the idea for several years that the constants in physics (the speed of light, the charge of an electron....) may have been changing as the Universe expands.

Now there is more evidence. If this new theory is correct it would be a milestone in our understanding of physics

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/ID/13816702

OK, so if the speed of light is not a constant, then that means that the speed of other forms of electromagnetic radiation are also not constant. Thus, radar - both emitted and reflected - does not travel at a constant speed. Therefore, radar cannot really be calibrated against a known constant - because there is no known constant.

I think I just found a defense for my next speeding ticket...

-dave

[SuperJake]

Originally Posted by mocat1530

Constants that aren't constant?!? The very foundations of my existance are crumbling! Is nothing sacred anymore?

BTW, it looks like now would be a good time to go into the field of physics, if any of you are interested in that area... a total re-write of the laws of physics could take years!

Thankfully a re-write is already in the works in the form of Super String Theory! Something to do with 10th dimensional thinking or something or another. Its not perfect, and I'm glad I'm done with school... I had enough problems when I only had to worry about 4 dimensions (x, y, z, t)!

[Elgin Clock]

Thanks.. This is just another excuse for me to not like physics.

Not physics per say as in how things (should) work, but as in trying to figure out how they work (math).

Not that I have ever needed to use the knowledge of the speed of light for anything as of yet anyways.

Someone better notify Google to update their calculator.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=speed+of+light

I think a random number generator in place of a calculator would work nicely.

[KenWittlief]

been thinking about this - if the speed of light continues to slow down as the universe expands

and E=MC^2 remains in effect - then that means the nuclear power available from fission and fusion reactions will keep decreasing.

As the universe expands the amount of energy that stars (and our sun) is able to produce keeps dropping. The power from nuclear reactors would keep dropping.

Seems like there would be a point where fusion and fission reactions would no longer be self sustaining, and we would have an intergalactic blackout?

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by dlavery

OK, so if the speed of light is not a constant, then that means that the speed of other forms of electromagnetic radiation are also not constant. Thus, radar - both emitted and reflected - does not travel at a constant speed. Therefore, radar cannot really be calibrated against a known constant - because there is no known constant.

I think I just found a defense for my next speeding ticket...

-dave

Dang, I guess some clever engineer will have to develop a method of detecting Dave's velocity components in the other six dimensions -- only then can his excessive speed be confirmed by measurement against an invariant standard.

[Peter Matteson]

Wiseguy comment of the thread:

Miller's corollary to Schrodinger's equation proved that the speed of light varies with gravity. That was written in about 1970 so once again everything old is new again.

Pete

[Jeremiah Johnson]

Wow... I only know select few words written in this thread. I knew I should have taken physics and paid attention in math classes.

[Alekat]

I'm majoring in Physics next year, but I've already been thinking about switching to an engineering major of some type. However, I think the fact that I find this so fascinating is some good reinforcement that I made the right decision. Only time will tell...

[henryBsick]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

been thinking about this - if the speed of light continues to slow down as the universe expands

and E=MC^2 remains in effect - then that means the nuclear power available from fission and fusion reactions will keep decreasing.

As the universe expands the amount of energy that stars (and our sun) is able to produce keeps dropping. The power from nuclear reactors would keep dropping.

Seems like there would be a point where fusion and fission reactions would no longer be self sustaining, and we would have an intergalactic blackout?

Ken, I thought it said that the bonds between the particles of nuclei: protons and neutrons, were becoming stronger as time goes on as compared to the slowing speed of light.
//Edit:
Which would make the nuclear power plants more plentiful and efficient as more energy would be released in the breaking or joining of the particles.

[KenWittlief]

Originally Posted by Henry_222

Ken, I thought it said that the bonds between the particles of nuclei: protons and neutrons, were becoming stronger as time goes on as compared to the slowing speed of light.
//Edit:
Which would make the nuclear power plants more plentiful and efficient as more energy would be released in the breaking or joining of the particles.

so what does that do to Einsteins equation? does it become invalid as light slows down, but the bonds become stronger?

one of the things that has always blown my mind is that Einsteins equation has no K factor - no constant to balance it.

Think about that for a while. The units of energy, mass, and distance and time (defining the speed of light) had all been defined before Einstein came up with his famous equation

BUT the units came out perfect - there is no correction (fudge) factor

E = MC^2

so what happens to it now?!

[henryBsick]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

so what happens to it now?!

**I call "Not it" on re-working the entire light and nuclear energy based physics mathematics to incorporate the slowing down of light!!!

For that matter any math involved in this. If it is true, school is going to get hairy.

May the Flying Spaghetti Monster help us all (I know He is the one up to this )

-Henry