Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: yamo on 28/03/2010 17:40:27

Title: Does Light age?
Post by: yamo on 28/03/2010 17:40:27

Does light age?  Does it get older?

Title: Does Light age?
Post by: Soul Surfer on 28/03/2010 18:35:46

No.   light and all electromagnetic radiation is totally unaware of time because it travels at the velocity of light.

Title: Does Light age?
Post by: yamo on 28/03/2010 18:54:56

Does it age when it is slowed (bose einstein condensate), or is it still going the speed of light even if the speed of light is much less than c.

Title: Does Light age?
Post by: yor_on on 28/03/2010 21:26:43

Yamo, does the light age more the more light years we know it to come from?
If you think it doesn't, why would it matter to it that we have stopped its 'motion'?

Take a look here for an in depth look at How Do You Stop Light? (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=20457.msg228614#msg228614)

Title: Does Light age?
Post by: Ron Hughes on 02/04/2010 15:49:52

Since we have no way to test if the wavelength of light gets longer over great distances we can't answer your question. Currently mainstream says the red shift is due to velocity of receding galaxies. Can they guarantee that? Could it possibly be a combination of both?

Title: Does Light age?
Post by: PhysBang on 02/04/2010 17:16:54

If it is a combination of both, then the amount that the wavelength of light changes over great distances must be really, really small. This is because there are a number of different ways to measure how light behaves over large distances and the relationship between expansion and light matches all of them to a great deal of accuracy and other hypotheses do not.

Title: Does Light age?
Post by: Jessica.Amanda on 02/04/2010 17:55:05

No my dear nerd.
Why do you think that light would age?

Title: Does Light age?
Post by: Jessica.Amanda on 02/04/2010 18:03:02

I think you mean to say that time period of existence of photons.
well is that what you meant, isn't it ?