In 1999, a Danish physicist named Lene Hau did the unthinkable. She slowed the speed of light. It was a exceptional transfer that utterly modified our concept of common constants. Since then, Hau has repeatedly confirmed that we will manipulate the speed of light, even going as far as to cease it, transfer it round, and extra. But how precisely was she in a position to pull this off? The reply is straightforward: science.
How a Danish physicist slowed the speed of light
Image supply: Tsurukame Design / AdobeOur understanding of the universe and its constants has modified fairly a bit over the a long time. However, the speed of light remains to be thought-about one of the most fixed issues inside our area of information. That’s as a result of the speed of light is the quickest something can go in our universe, and in a vacuum like house, it travels at roughly 186,282 miles per second.
Light normally stays at that speed, too. It doesn’t randomly speed up or gradual down. However, as Hau confirmed in 1999, we will manipulate the speed of light, and even cease it in its tracks, with the proper scientific experiments.
Slowing the speed of light is not any simple course of, although. In truth, it requires a really advanced arrange which incorporates cooling down atoms to extraordinarily low temperatures near absolute zero. This principally makes the atoms turn into a “super-atom.” And that subsequence tremendous atom is superb at slowing the speed of light.
Image supply: Mihail / AdobeThis shouldn’t be essentially information, although, as Hau has been engaged on these experiments since 1999. And Hau says that slowing the speed of light and manipulating it may open new doorways for physics. Some even imagine that slowed light may very well be used to energy futuristic supercomputers. This would permit them to course of info quicker than conventional laptop {hardware}.
Further, manipulating light in methods may additionally permit us to improve wi-fi communication speed and even unlock new choices we will use to journey worldwide. Of course, the different prospects are that slowing the speed of light and manipulating it in different methods will help reply extra questions on our universe and nature.
https://bgr.com/science/this-physicist-actually-slowed-down-the-speed-of-light/
