TODAY IN SCIENCE: Scientists have achieved 'Liquid Light' at room temperature for the first time

Jun 18, 2017 5:35 AM

DriftingSteps

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For the first time, physicists have achieved 'liquid light' at room temperature, making this strange form of matter more accessible than ever.

This matter is both a superfluid, which has zero friction and viscosity, and a kind of Bose-Einstein condensate - sometimes described as the fifth state of matter - and it allows light to actually flow around objects and corners.

Regular light behaves like a wave, and sometimes like a particle, always travelling in a straight line. That's why your eyes can't see around corners or objects. But under extreme conditions, light can also act like a liquid, and actually flow around objects.

SOURCES:
Content - http://www.sciencealert.com/fifth-state-of-matter-liquid-light
Source - https://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nphys4147.html
PDF - https://www.nature.com/articles/nphys4147.epdf

Liquid Light is the Fifth State? Mind bending, waves back.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Neat! v

8 years ago | Likes 22 Dislikes 0

So what you're telling me is that the movie spectral is now plausible?

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Wtf?

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

The force has awaken

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

8 years ago | Likes 77 Dislikes 0

If they keep at it, they're going to cause a fault in this simulation.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

O.o

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I do like me some BEC-related goodness.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Might be a dumb question but are there any possible practical applications of having liquid light?

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

So what you're saying is, incoming Predator cloaking technology?

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Do you want invisibility cloaks, because that's how you get invisibility cloaks

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

You ever have those moments when you hear about a formula that changes everything. This. This will.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

"But can you fuck it?"

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Why does it seem as if we actually know nothing about the world around us

8 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 1

Because these headlines are grossly oversimplified, to the point of being incorrect.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Because we don't! Remember what people called the golden age? Where they thought there was nothing new to learn? Look at us now. Same thing.

8 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 1

Uh... we don't think we know everything. We're in the opposite of the golden age.

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 1

Show me a video, then I will try to understand It

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

So... what do you do with touchable light.... LIGHTSABERS??????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Make It into a car.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

"liquid light" sounds like something you see while tripping on acid...

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I didn't understand anything of this, but uh, neat?

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Excuse me, a Bose-Einstein condensate at room temp? I'll wait for the other confirming experiments too.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Can't wait to find out how this causes cancer/global warming.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Remember then they discovered a particle smaller than light? Oh wait, that was just a loose wire. But they still got millions in grants.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

So, instead of behaving like a wave, it's behaving like a different wave

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Now make solid light so we can have lucio

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I love keeping up with technology news. Gives me good sci-fi material.

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

i'll try to post as often as i can.

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 1

Don't worry too much; I'm following sciencealert on tumblr now. But you should post these anyway.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Science Fiction needs to turn it up a notch. Most of the stuff from these books and movies is just becoming regular fiction.

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

It's cool and all but how is this useful, realistically?

8 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 1

The atom, petroleum, electricity, DNA, Quantum Theory, Genetics, complex numbers, radio waves, General Relativity, Heliocentric Solar System

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Fair enough, thanks for responding!

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Things that shape our world weren't always considered particularly useful at their time.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

And contribute nothing useful.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 1

What doesn't? Those inventions? I massively beg to differ.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

are you trying to tell me that electricity and radio technology are useless inventions...

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Then there are flat earthers. Who basically peddle nonsense.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

ah, but now, if the earth were flat, all the light would fall off the edge!

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

No, I think they believe we are in a dome at its edge, so we would drown in light. Or something.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I'll wait until a third party has replicated the experiment

8 years ago | Likes 476 Dislikes 3

but look at all the people who documented how they achieved cold fusion, but inexplicably couldn't replicate it.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

if you are not doing the same experiments, its the second party you are waiting for.

8 years ago | Likes 35 Dislikes 1

Unless he's waiting for a second and a third party, which would be quite sensible.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I'm on a toilet I can be the turd party.

8 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

I've vote for that third party

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

We stopped voting for parties involved with third instances of things, especially Reichs.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

You're going to wait for the repost? Lol

7 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Which might be a long time considering no one wants to pay the fact checking scientists anymore. People want gratification, not good process

8 years ago | Likes 30 Dislikes 3

people who actually make stuff like to make sure it works

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 2

Who what? Nations across the globe will fact check this. It's to big of an advancement not to.

8 years ago | Likes 12 Dislikes 1

Sadly true

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 3

BUT ITS MY GROUND BREAKING SCIENCE ADVANCEMENT AND I WANT IT NOW!

8 years ago | Likes 120 Dislikes 2

CALL J. G. WENTWORTH! 877-CASH-NOW!

8 years ago | Likes 35 Dislikes 0

I have an annuity but I need cash now.

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

CALL J.G. WENTWORTH

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

877CASH NOOOOOOOW

8 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

Does this mean something like a cloak of invisibility would theoretically be possible or did I understand that wrong?

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

It allows light to flow around objects, not to pass through them. If you wore a cloak of this stuff you would look like a dark shadow.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

couldn't you use a refraction+internal reflection "magic" coating to output light at the same angle it hit the opposite side of an object?

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

.... check your facts

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

k

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0