Liquid Space

New Scientist ^ | 03 November 2001 | Paul Davies

[pistola]

IS SPACE just space? Or is it filled with some sort of mysterious, intangible substance? The ancient Greeks believed so, and so did scientists in the 19th century. Yet by the early part of the 20th century, the idea had been discredited and seemed to have gone for good.

[FormerLurker]

Thanks, I'll look it up..

[Consort]

Thanks, I'll look it up..

It contains some far-out ideas.

[TigersEye]

What I find amazing is that the more we understand of the Universe, the more we see that ancient concepts are indeed correct. Why would that be true I wonder...

Well just for fun I'll say 'One man knows onions by growing them the other knows onions from eating them'. That's a pretty sad analogy but my esoteric gas tank is running low at this hour.

I better cash it in for the night. It's been fun.

[FormerLurker]

It contains some far-out ideas.

The more the merrier.. :)

[FormerLurker]

I better cash it in for the night. It's been fun.

Likewise...

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so much for the heads up!

IMHO, the biggest stumbling-block to science is the concept of space and time. The pure concept of zero and nothing are waved off and replaced with useful approximations.

I see space/time in the fashion Einstein described in his book, Relativity - they are the qualities of the extension of field, they do not pre-exist. Therefore, any "vacuum" created within space/time can never be empty.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

For example, a pair of mirrors arranged facing one another extremely close together will feel a tiny force of attraction, even in a perfect vacuum, because of the way the set-up affects the behaviour of the virtual photons. This has been confirmed in many experiments.

The Universe (or the Earth, at least) has billions and billions of particles of dust swirling around it. You can see them floating in a beam of light.

That proves that space is not empty. All of that dust has got to account for something. Has anyone estimated how much all of the dust would weigh?

What about Kirlian photography? Everthing has a force field (both around and within). Perhaps that's why the mirrors in the experiment have an "attraction" to each other.

[fire_eye]

Muttly want Quantum Ether.
Muttly have empty jar ready.

Muttly, Muttly, Muttly... Last time you wanted "High-Intensity Bullets", now you're wanting "Quantum Ether".

There are multiple problems with your demand this time also.

First of all, the implication of the theory is that it is impossible for your jar to be empty. In fact, the implication is that your jar is *already* full of "Quantum Ether".

However, you are undoubtedly going to be difficult, and demand *proof* of the presence of the Quantum Ether in your jar. It could be argued that since Quantum Ether is now accepted as what formerly constituted "Nothing", or "Emptiness", your jar is *by definition* now filled with "Quantum Ether".

However, you will now undoubtedly argue that since someone has implied that Quantum Ether can "Exist", you should be able to observe it, since observability is a primary characteristic of anything which can be said to "Exist" (existence based on belief alone being excluded from the "operant paradigm" at the moment, as a charitable gesture to you - Be grateful).

In response to THIS inevitable demand, problems of a truly byzantine nature are manifest... (damn, I LOVE this Irish whisky) - To wit: Since the "Quantum Ether" with which you would like your jar filled is, by definition of itself, a quantum-mechanical phenomenon, we can only simultaneously establish two of its three parameters of velocity, mass, and position at any one time. This would in turn imply that your jar - you *are* *holding* the jar, are you not? cannot be firmly established in time with anything more than its velocity and mass, or velocity and position, etc.

Therefore, since by dint of your HOLDING the jar at this time we *have* established all *three* of its critical parameters, your jar is clearly not of the correct type - i.e., it is a physical object, describable (at least with our present processing abilities) only by Newtonian mechanics, and cannot be formulated with a quantum-mechanical description.

Therefore, while the limitation on the possibility of your obtaining any "Quantum Ether" in your jar may be entirely the result of present limitations in mathematical theory or equipment, and not in theoretical limitations, NOBODY IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO FILL YOUR JAR UP, Muttly.

Get it?

(I hope not... and to whoever posted the article, THIS is what you get for POSTING it...).

FOrm is emptiness... Emptiness is form... FOrm is emptiness... < < Ommmm.... > >... < < Yawwwwnnn... > >

[PoorMuttly]

Muttly now find nonexistent jar he stole from Newtonian mechanic once (in his youth). Pretty sure it never had Newtons in it, but have to empty Irish Whiskey out first, so it doesn't sterilize Muttly's new Quantum Ethers. Muttly have new terrarium for ethers to run around in. Only one question...what do they eat? Hope it's not Newtons. Or whiskey. Muttly have enough competition already.

Silly human got Muttly going again. Added to his list. It doesn't take much.

[martian_22]

One needs a canvas to paint a picture.
Existence needs it's background. IMO.

[GregoryFul]

Thank you for the good read!

[aruanan]

Bernard Haisch BUMP

[PoorMuttly]

Muttly now so disappointed that he can't figure out if he has (stolen) jar full of Quantum Ethers, so wonders if he can fill his jar with Josephson Charge Qubits.

Will they fight ?