Originally posted by RJHinds
Isn't "photon" just a word made up for the unknown something of which light is believed to consist?

The Instructor

No.

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
If you cool down things, the "quantum size" actually becomes larger. This is why you get Bose-Einstein condensation below a certain temperature - the size of the constituent atoms becomes so large they they start to overlap and act as if they were just one giant "matter wave". (helium actually does not form a pure BEC at any temperature, although many alkali atoms do)

It is interesting that you used the term "matter wave". AKA de Broglie wave.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matter_wave

Everything seems to come back to de Broglie.

http://www.principlesofnature.net/de_broglie_standing_waves.htm

Originally posted by RJHinds
Isn't "photon" just a word made up for the unknown something of which light is believed to consist?

The Instructor

Tell me this: If photons were some unknown something or other, why was there first predicted the idea for the maser and later the laser? Google them if you really want to understand. Also look up 'electromagnetic waves'.

For instance, did you know photons come in a lot of different physical sizes? A photon can be a thousand miles across or a thousands of an angstrom. They are all photons.

Originally posted by sonhouse
Tell me this: If photons were some unknown something or other, why was there first predicted the idea for the maser and later the laser? Google them if you really want to understand. Also look up 'electromagnetic waves'.

For instance, did you know photons come in a lot of different physical sizes? A photon can be a thousand miles across or a thousands of an angstrom. They are all photons.

Why do scientist say light has properties of both a particle and a wave if they are so sure what it is?

The Instructor

Originally posted by RJHinds
Why do scientist say light has properties of both a particle and a wave if they are so sure what it is?

The Instructor

Why don't you take a course in quantum mechanics, maybe you will find out what the scientists have known for about 50 years.

I had a taste of your kind of logic by my 8th grade teacher and principle of our First Lutheran School in El Monte California, he did the same kind of stupid arguments, like one I remembered, 'if scientists are so smart and all, why doesn't ice form at the coldest spot, the bottom"? And other such BS to try to convince our innocent 13 yo brains the wisdom of your religion.

Hint: It didn't work. I think every one of us in that 8th grade class went against religion. But I was already free of the dogma and brainwashing since the age of 8, and I have been grateful ever since. Grateful I didn't turn into someone like you.

Originally posted by sonhouse
Why don't you take a course in quantum mechanics, maybe you will find out what the scientists have known for about 50 years.

I had a taste of your kind of logic by my 8th grade teacher and principle of our First Lutheran School in El Monte California, he did the same kind of stupid arguments, like one I remembered, 'if scientists are so smart and all, wh ...[text shortened]... e of 8, and I have been grateful ever since. Grateful I didn't turn into someone like you.

I get my education by watching youtube videos. You should try it. Ypu might learn something new.

The Instructor

Originally posted by sonhouse
Why don't you take a course in quantum mechanics, maybe you will find out what the scientists have known for about 50 years.

I had a taste of your kind of logic by my 8th grade teacher and principle of our First Lutheran School in El Monte California, he did the same kind of stupid arguments, like one I remembered, 'if scientists are so smart and all, wh ...[text shortened]... e of 8, and I have been grateful ever since. Grateful I didn't turn into someone like you.

I had a few teachers who would ask questions like "why doesn't ice form at the coldest spot, the bottom". I always understood these to be questions designed to make us think, instead of expecting us to only memorize 'correct' answers to questions. These were the teachers who made school interesting for me. Some students hated it, because they had mastered the art of regurgitating answers to questions for the purpose of passing tests, and didn't want to be bothered with having to think about anything.

I seriously doubt your 8th grade teacher actually wondered why ice doesn't form at the bottom [of a lake in the winter]. It may have seemed like a stupid question to you if you already knew the answer, but it's a safe bet not every 8th grader was as smart as you were... I'm assuming there were other students in your class?

Originally posted by RJHinds
Why do scientist say light has properties of both a particle and a wave if they are so sure what it is?

The Instructor

Sometimes the best we can do is to simply 'see' (or understand) what something does, and from that develop theories about what it might be. We know for instance what gravity does (or appears to do) but we still don't know what it is, or whether it travels in a wave or if it's an instantaneous effect.

Originally posted by RJHinds
I get my education by watching youtube videos. You should try it. Ypu might learn something new.

The Instructor

I get my education by watching youtube videos.

-which explains why you don't understand anything and your total ignorance -that and your self-lobotomy via a vast load of demented religious propaganda crap you perpetually forcibly vomit into your skull.

So you think we should follow in your footsteps and become ignorant moron like you? -err, no thanks. We like staying intelligent, thank you. We like to have a proper education, not a youtube one.

Originally posted by RJHinds
I get my education by watching youtube videos. You should try it. Ypu might learn something new.

The Instructor

I watched some YouTube videos a while ago, there were some good videos on superconductors, superfluids, supercooled water (which you can try at home), a miniature V8 engine, and was highly entertained by lots and lots of videos by people who think they've found a perpetual motion machine. You might want try something more structured and with better quality control than a vote and users comments.

Originally posted by humy

I get my education by watching youtube videos.

-which explains why you don't understand anything and your total ignorance -that and your self-lobotomy via a vast load of demented religious propaganda crap you perpetually forcibly vomit into your skull.

So you think we should follow in your footsteps and become ignorant moron like you? ...[text shortened]... We like staying intelligent, thank you. We like to have a proper education, not a youtube one.

Well, I don't want to waste my money on your kind of proper education.

The Instructor

Originally posted by lemon lime
I had a few teachers who would ask questions like "why doesn't ice form at the coldest spot, the bottom". I always understood these to be questions designed to make us think, instead of expecting us to only memorize 'correct' answers to questions. These were the teachers who made school interesting for me. Some students hated it, because they had mastered ...[text shortened]... as as smart as you were... I'm assuming there were other students in your class?

Yes, it was a small class but it was clear the esteemed Mr Schlicktine was much more interested in convincing us of the correct nature of the bible and putting down science, not trying to make us think.

Originally posted by sonhouse
Yes, it was a small class but it was clear the esteemed Mr Schlicktine was much more interested in convincing us of the correct nature of the bible and putting down science, not trying to make us think.

Believe it or not I know what you mean. Religion has done more to turn people off to God than anything else I can think of. I had to reject a lot of stuff I grew up hearing just to get to a point where I could seriously start considering it. I'm talking about the pro's as well as the con's, and there is plenty of both to think about. There really is a lot of crap parading around as religion, but to my way of thinking it doesn't make sense to make judgements or personal decisions based only on people who intentionally (or unintentionally) make a complete mess of it. The sort of natural skepticism I learned as an atheist actually comes in handy when sorting through the many variations of religion, in this case Christianity. Thank God for atheists who do (honestly) consider it, otherwise we wouldn't have interesting people like C.S. Lewis to read.

I realise this is the science board, and I do come here hoping to see something about science and maybe participate, but frankly there is so much animosity against Christians that I'm starting to think everyone here is really mostly interested in religion.

Originally posted by RJHinds
Well, I don't want to waste my money on your kind of proper education.

The Instructor

There are free Yale courses on Youtube including ones on evolution and quantum mechanics. The problem is not that you get your education from youtube, the problem is you don't know how to discern which videos are worth watching.

Originally posted by twhitehead
There are free Yale courses on Youtube including ones on evolution and quantum mechanics. The problem is not that you get your education from youtube, the problem is you don't know how to discern which videos are worth watching.

I try to avoid those that teach the atheist evilution nonsense.

The Instructor