Posted on 04/24/2025 9:32:51 PM PDT by Red Badger
Scientists have discovered a groundbreaking phenomenon where light materializes from nothingness, opening the door to revolutionary advances in physics and technology.
In a groundbreaking new study, researchers from the University of Rostock and the University of Birmingham have made a surprising discovery that challenges the long-held understanding of time and space in physics. Their research, recently published in Nature Photonics, reveals the existence of “space-time-topological events” where light appears to emerge from and disappear into nothingness—a phenomenon that initially seems like magic, but is grounded in deep mathematical principles.
Rethinking Time and Space in Physics
Time has long been considered one of the most peculiar dimensions in physics. Unlike the other spatial dimensions, time flows in one direction—forward—and has fascinated scientists for years. Despite its importance, time has received less attention in physics compared to space. However, recent advancements in the study of spatiotemporal crystals have sparked a reevaluation of how time can be used in understanding the physical world.
This shift in thinking has led to the discovery of new phenomena that could have vast applications, all linked to a deeper understanding of time’s unique properties. According to the researchers, these events could potentially revolutionize technologies that rely on controlling light.
Time and space rethought: A new look at these old dimensions in physics opens doors to new phenomena, such as so-called space-time-topological events, and their technological applications. Credit: A. Szameit/ Universität Rostock
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Space-Time-Topological Events: The Birth of Light from Nothing
The discovery centers on a series of experiments in which light was brought to appear “glued” to a precise point in space-time. As Prof. Alexander Szameit from the University of Rostock explains, the experiment demonstrated a striking moment where “in the beginning, there is nothing. Then physics says, ‘Let there be light!’ and there actually is light—at one precise moment in time and point in space.”
This phenomenon, referred to as a space-time-topological event, is not accidental but instead stems from the field of topology, a branch of mathematics that dictates how light behaves in these circumstances.
Robustness Against External Perturbations
One of the most significant aspects of these space-time-topological events is their unique robustness. The researchers found that these flashes of light were resistant to common experimental disturbances, such as errors in setup or stray light. Dr. Joshua Feis of the University of Rostock explained that this feature makes them remarkably stable, which could be a game-changer for fields like imaging, communications, and laser technologies.
Dr. Sebastian Weidemann, also from the University of Rostock, added that this resilience is highly desirable, as it may enable the precise manipulation of light waves, which could lead to improvements in many technological applications.
The Future of Space-Time and Light
This research marks a critical turning point in our understanding of space-time and light. It opens up exciting possibilities not only for fundamental science but also for practical applications in technology. The study demonstrates how reconsidering the role of time in physics can lead to discoveries that we could have never anticipated.
As Prof. Hannah Price from the University of Birmingham notes, these findings are just the beginning, suggesting that this new-old dimension of time might allow for even more groundbreaking discoveries in the future.
I saw this earlier and thought the same thing.
It manifests from nothingness, abides in nothingness and dissolves back into nothingness. Dzogchen!
The suchness of reality. :)
P
spatiotemporal crystals were more potent in the late 60’s to early 70’s.
Just around the corner, I hear.
“What are the implications of this discovery in regards to sex robots? Asking for a friend.”
Have Laz ask this himself. Stop covering for him.
Or lightsabers.
Try reading the underlying research paper. You will soon prefer a plate of word salad to trying to consume an entire elephant of hard science.
Between the mysteries of quantum entanglement, virtual particles, zero-point energy, and a deeper understanding of photons and neutrinos, there is much to keep physics busy in the coming decades, and much potential for revolutionary discoveries on a scale similar to those that unfolded in the last part of the 19th century and into the first thirty years of the 20th.
So many of the revolutionary technology advances of the second half of the 20th Century were based on the scientific advances of those 50 years.
Once people learned how to control and harness electricity, and how to deal with electromagnetism on a theoretical level, the door was opened to incredible advances, such as quantum mechanics and relativity.
Once people learned to shoot beams of charged particles through high vacuum, and bend those beams with electric and magnetic fields, the pace of invention increased enormously. The ability to understand what was going on inside atoms went from unimaginable to everyday science in just a few decades.
I’m also excited about the JWST, which is perhaps the most revolutionary scientific instrument ever created. The true scale of its impact may not become obvious for fifty years or more.
I immediately thought of Genesis.
Bfl
Attribution lacking.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. (Genesis 1:1-5)
btt
There’s gold in them there hills! We just need a enough infinite federal funding to make all our “coulds” come true, or not true, as the case may be!
Triumph Nox. (Lucas)
AMEN!
Well Prof. Hannah Price buzz-sawed me in half but I was superglued to the space-time topology and then voilà, I got better! This might-could be an an incredible breakthrough for diet technologies!
Why not?
When the AI wants you to worship The Physics, it is getting smart enough to paraphrase the bible a little bit to give itself instant, unwarranted credibility just like its father has done with his oldest trick, for millennia: “hath God not said?”
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