Monday 29 October 2007

Waves of Particles

Looking at the physics angle, in nature there are two analogies that I think fit, showing that light is waves of particles. Think of the sea for instance and the way water wraps itself around breakers or bursts through gaps in the structure. Then think how trees (composed of cells) slowly flow round obstructions, like mud or lava does at a visible level (not years but moments).

2 comments:

Anthony Peake said...

This is the real mystery of light. It is observed as a wave when diffraction clearly shows that it flows around objects - as you rightly say in your water analogy. As long as the light is unobserved it behaves in a wave-like way. However as soon as it is 'observed' the wave function collapses and a particle comes into being. As physicist Ralph Baierlein said
"Light travels as a wave but departs and arrives as a particle".

I will place a full posting on this issue in a few minutes.

paigetheoracle said...

Kiss my particle as you wave it goodbye, perhaps?