A question about light speed.

[Rodri]

Theoretically, you may be correct but I am not capable of answering your question. I draw from Stephen Hawking's book "A Brief History of Time" and although he wrote this book in as simplified a form as he possibly could, much of what he was describing was still beyond my comprehension, even after two readings. Quantum physics is not my strong suite but I am reminded of the story of Schrodinger's cat.
The main point of that story in relation to this discussion and quantum physics in general, is that the very act of observation can change the results. So we must remember that everything is relative but everything is also subjective.

Depending upon the relative position of the observer in this case, light may be slowed while time continues at normal speed, or both time and light may both be slowed or frozen, or time may appear to be sped up whilst light continues to remain at a constant speed. As I said, it's all relative and subjective.

As for wave length variation, as far as I know, shifts in wave length alter our perception of the colours of the observed light but not the speed of the light. It is much the same as shifting the wavelength of sound alters the pitch of the sound but not the speed it will travel.

Sorry for my vague responses but I am not a physicist, just an interested observer.

[Bree Fletcher]

Sounds like we've hit the point where this conversation can't effectively continue without either some really expensive test rigs utilizing undeveloped technology, a time machine, or a deity. But yeah, my point was that, relative to anyone actually in position to observe the light, the speed might not actually have changed...

...everything is relative but everything is also subjective.

Isn't that redundant?

[vikingdriver]

Light is constant at the relative speed of 186,000 (add a few more hundred there) MPS Miles per Second. you can do many thing with light such as bend it, direct it, and/or obscure it in such a way in which it APPEARS to have a variable speed. The blinks of an eye can sometimes give one the impression that light has been slowed, the bending of light can also give that appearance too. but alas, the speed of light is most definitely constant.

[Rodri]

It may be.

[Skirata]

Black. Holes.

[trogdor1316]

Your mother.

[Bree Fletcher]

Black. Holes.

Already been discussing this...

So you're finally expanding on what I asked yesterday... but I think I finally figured out why it was nagging me that this might not slow down light: What if it slows down time as well? I mwan, what if, say, you succeed at making light go at 0.5c, from an "objective" (using that term in an abstract sense, as everything's always relative ) point of view. What if time then goes at 0.5 times normal speed as well, from that same "objective" view? Then, light's essentially still going at speec c.

Do you have anything constructive to add then?

[*jdm*]

i read the whole thread; DAYUM i learned a lot

[Skirata]

Already been discussing this...

By now, everyone should realize I do not read threads.

[japanpimp]

I accept the speed of light is approximately 300 million meters per second. I am willing to hear the argument that the speed of light is the "speed limit" of the universe. But, that's not what this thread is about. My question is...

Can light move slower than the speed of light?

Does a little electron of light-energy ALWAYS travel at the speed of light? Can a beam of light-energy travel at a paltry 100 million meters per second? If energy is moving slower than the speed of light, then is it no longer considered to be "light?" Is it now some other kind of radiated energy?

The speed of light is a constant (c) in many physics and math equations. But, is the speed of light constant? Or is (c) really just the maximum speed of light?

I am a common sense kinda guy. So I will not bring math into this or theory. Many scientists have little common sense. I like to back out and take a wide view of things. First off, anything is possible. Anything that comes into out mind is possible. Even things that will never enter our minds still exist and/or are still possible.

Of course light can move slower than the speed of light. Something is moving, right? Moving stuff can go slow or fast. If it is still then it is not moving. So moving is slow and fast. And as things move they change. A small piece of lead moving at 1 meter per minute is a solid in our atmosphere. But if it moves at 1,000 meters per second it will become a liquid in our armosphere. And if it moves at 100,000 meters per second it will become a gas in our atmosphere. But put that lead in space and it will remain a solid until a different point. Perhaps if it travels "x" speed in space it will convert from a solid into a certain type of energy that can permiate various dimensions, I dunno.
Light is the same. It remains "light" at 0+x speed through 0+y speed. Then after a certain speed it becomes something else. Or maybe light is only light between speed 0+g and 0+q.... if it is slow then it is not light but someinthing else.