Physicists Are About to Attempt The 'Impossible' - Turning Light Into Matter

Mar 23, 2018 1:30 PM

EggsMayhem

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E=mc2 becomes m=E/c2.

Theoretically, it should be possible to turn light into matter. In practice, well - "easier said than done" is an understatement.

https://www.nature.com/articles/nphoton.2014.95

What is the matter?

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Does anything really matter?

2 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

First real step towards a transporter?

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

They have already done experiments with lightning and created small amounts of matter

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I want to see a real holodeck in my lifetime.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Haven't they seen Charlie and the Chocolate factory?! Like nine atomic bombs!!

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

This isn't going to matter

8 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 0

Under appreciated comment... +1

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Now make me some food from light so I can have a Light Meal.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Soon "Earl Gray, Hot"

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

So, is this basically like replicators in Star Trek?

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

OP must be surprised about how particle accelerators work.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

When's it scheduled for?

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Earl grey tea, hot

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

a deaf friend asked me one if it made a noise when the sun hit something, like coming through a window and shining on a table

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Lightsabers and holodecks in the same universe? What a time to be alive.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

WE CAN HAVE REPLICATORS

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Isn't light a particle, and thus already matter?

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

that depends on how you define matter, but it is usually assumed to stuff with mass>0. but energy is a more important quantity than mass

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

unsure if its a particle or whatever, but i remember they dont have mass, thus not considered matter. we should both google it :P

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Nah. Light is made up of photons, but it's a form of energy. To be matter, it has to occupy space and light doesn't...therefore not matter.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

YOU DON'T MATTER! *runs off crying out the window*

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Isn't that what photosynthesis does?

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

No; photosynthesis harnesses solar energy to transmute carbohydrates from gaseous CO2

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Sadly, I have to take your word for this. But I am grateful anyway.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Basically, photosynthesis doesn't create matter, it uses the sun's energy to rearrange existing matter into a more useful configuration.

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Article talks about gamma rays. Do you want a Hulk? Because that's how you get a Hulk.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I feel like I should mention Einstein's full equation which helps explain how Photon's don't have mass. As it stands with just E²=(mc²) 1/?

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

A photon has mass by these rules. Energy² = Mass * (Speed of light in a vacuum)² reversing it like M=E/C² inherently gives photons mass |2/?

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

As photons don't have mass we \should\ use Einstein's full equation E²=(mc²)²+(pc)² (Whereas P is momentum) (Alternatively we use "E=(pc)")

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

So photons don't randomly have mass * just to shed a little light ( ;D ) on a (depressively) common misconception.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

NEEEERD! jk thanks for great clarification

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

8 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

If they can do it with UV light then they can say Black Light Matters.

8 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

Damn. An actual, honest to goodness, not exagerated, no clickbait science post on the front page of Imgur ? Is this the end times ?

8 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 3

... it's out of date. That's a 4 year old article.

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Another sourcce was added later; and it's up to date. :D

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

Calling it" attempting the impossible" is definitively clickbait. creating electron/positron pairs from light is actually "every day life"

8 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

in high energy phyiscs. However usually that only happend in the proximity of other matter (like nuclei). Here they attempt it in vaccuum

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

from just photon/photon scattering - which hasnt be observed yet, but in theory shouldnt be an issue. just hard to meassure it

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Eh, it's rather light in terms of clickbait from my experience. It's "everyday life" but it still need to be verified like everything else.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 1

Symmetra mains rejoice !

8 years ago | Likes 14 Dislikes 0

beat me to it.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Everything in perfect harmony

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Do you want holodeck malfunctions? Cuz that's how you get holodeck malfunctions.

8 years ago | Likes 106 Dislikes 1

I... sorta yeah. I'd love to create fanfic copies of my coworkers and then fuck them.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Actually yeah, I do want holodeck malfunctions. That would mean we have holodecks to malfunction.

8 years ago | Likes 29 Dislikes 0

Which means holodecks to get virtually laid on.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

8 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

yeah that's cool and all, But can they see why kids love the taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch?

8 years ago | Likes 110 Dislikes 9

Yeah, it's the sugar, carbs, and cinnamon.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

As a physicist, I think it's fucktons of sugar

8 years ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 0

I'm pleased you were able to quantify that for me!

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Just doing my job.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

If my calculations are correct, and they never are, they can make Cinnamon Toast Crunch out of light. Then, yes, you will see the flavor.

8 years ago | Likes 22 Dislikes 0

Well, I can't argue with that!

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

"Eat a light breakfast" takes a whole new meaning.

8 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

Spoken like a true physicist

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Oh yes, let's go ahead and destabilize the higgs field and force it into a lower energy state, that won't cause vacuum decay or anything.

8 years ago | Likes 98 Dislikes 14

8 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 1

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

You'll get to say you told us so right before who's ripped apart at the speed of light.

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

trying to sound smart gets you points on the internet. enjoying those youtube videos on quantum mechanics?

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 2

yes. I thought it would be a joke that someone smirks and rolls their eyes at, I didn't think it would start a discussion like this.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Shit. So I'm going to need to buy a new vacuum?

8 years ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 0

No, vacuum decay will destroy a lot of everything in existence.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

You are effectively repeating the same "YOULL MAKE A BLACK HOLE NOOOOO" people back when the LHC was built.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

yes. When I posted this I thought people would see the joke, I didn't think ppl would start discussing vacuum decay

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

And what happened? They created a black Hole or Not?

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

This sounds like a syfy original. The snarky scientist tries to warn everyone but too late man, too late!

8 years ago | Likes 22 Dislikes 0

The sharktopus already attacked...

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

On the plus side, if that theory ended up being true, we'd never even have time to know it

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Game over man!

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Wasn't Vacuum decay that thing that simply goes "nope, no nothing for no one; all is gone now."?

8 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

Worse it's the thing where our the basic physical laws as we understand them no longer apply and are replaced with totally new ones.

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

So you're saying cops won't care if I speed and junk food will be the easiest way to lose weight. It's a chance I'm willing to take

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Yeah but wouldn’t that mean you could do some cool shit with new physics?

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

No. You'll be dead.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

the laws that no longer apply are the laws that keep atoms behaving the way they do, and you're a load of atoms behaving a particular way.

8 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

Oh

8 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0