Posted on 11/27/2016 11:30:21 AM PST by BenLurkin
Researchers suggesting that the speed of light varies have come up with a numerical prediction that will allow their theory to be tested.
Many theories in physics are built upon the idea that the speed of light is at a constant rate, but João Magueijo and Niayesh Afshordi think otherwise. In a paper published in the journal Physical Review D, they detailed the creation of an exact figure on the spectral index, a model that can be used to determine if their theory is valid or not.
All structures in the universe today were created when fluctuations occurred in the early universe. The spectral index is the record of these fluctuations that is now integrated into the cosmic microwave background.
The figure that Magueijo and Afshordi came up with is 0.96478 precise, which is extremely close to the currently used estimated readings of 0.968, give or take some margin for error, gathered from the cosmic microwave background. A Radical Physics Idea
Magueijo and Afshordi's theory that the speed of light is variable was first proposed back in the late 90s. It was considered as radical at the time but now that a numerical method of prediction has been developed, the theory has turned into something that physicists can validate for themselves.
"The theory ... has now reached a maturity point... If true, it would mean that the laws of nature were not always the same as they are today," said Magueijo.
(Excerpt) Read more at techtimes.com ...
Save energy..reduce the speed to 55!
Obviously, the writers at Tech Times do not understand the difference between a theory and a hypothesis. Since only now can they test the hypothesis, it might become a theory in the future.
Voyager red shifted. End of speculation.
At that speed, light from the sun would reach the earth in about 1.69 million hours or 193 years. Good suggestion.
Einstein said that “E=MC squared”.
Then he said “But this may be a local phenomenon”.
So, I think we may have a primitive understanding of how the universe works, but probably not.
We have to rethink Quantum Mechanics now that the EM drive has been proven to work (while violating Newtonian physics)
So, I guess we don’t know what we think we know, and we REALLY don’t know all the rest.
Who do they think they are?
Don’t they know that there is a consensus?
The science is settled..../s
On a galactic or larger scale the speed of light is already extremely slow.
Seeing as we actually understand a lot less of nature than we pretend to know this would not be all that surprising.
If the speed of light changes, is light speed still the cosmic speed limit?
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This statement is false.
First, there is one peer reviewed paper which claims a result outside of the margin of error. That hardly makes it an established fact.
Second, if you actually read the explanations given by various proponents of the drive, they all employ conventional physical explanations.
“We have to rethink Quantum Mechanics now that the EM drive has been proven to work (while violating Newtonian physics)”
Your statement needs some ‘rethinking’ ...
If the sun is radiating continuously, that in and of itself is not a problem.
More problematic would be that you would be observing significant length contraction and time dilation issues on most Interstates.
Probably, would not surprise me even a little bit.
My position is that I do not understand it.
God shakes his head and smiles at the “mathematics” his children worship.
Since global warming/climate change is settled science it's one less thing we have to worry about/sarc
Pretty slow just in terms of planetary distances. You can't a have a real time conversation with anyone even as close as Mars.
[As a matter of fact, it's even pretty slow in some terrestrial applications. Even in the the original Cray Supercomputers, which are slow by modern standards, the system bus was run through the center of a cylindrical configuration because light takes a nanosecond to move one foot. That is quite a limitation to a machine that can do millions of calculations per nanosecond and needs to communicate with "distant" parts of the architecture.]
At that speed, light from the sun would reach the earth in about 1.69 million hours or 193 years. Good suggestion.
Wow! If we could slow it down it would cool off more on the way and we could fix global warming!
“God shakes his head and smiles at the mathematics his children worship.”
God is the ultimate mathematician and we puny humans should strive to uncover his mysteries. NOT seek to “replace” him.
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