Comments on: Ep. 83: Wave Particle Duality

By: Robert Reppy, from Tampa, FL

Robert Reppy, from Tampa, FL — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 01:58:47 +0000

Is this a valid way to conceptualize what a photon is?: Using the familiar analogy of space-time as a vast rubber sheet that stellar and planetary massed create huge dimples in, isn't a photon packet of energy like a vibration in that space-time sheet propogating itself like a ripple?

By: John Mahony

John Mahony — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:15:00 +0000

Great episode, really gets the ol' neurons firing for non-specialists!
Just as a connection to the sci-fi Vs real science episodes (DragonCon etc) concerning star trek transporters……there was an episode in The Next Generation where they were fooling around with the transporters and something called a "Heisenberg Compensator" was acting up…..I thought it was great that they even bothered to take it into account!

By: Ah I get it

Ah I get it — Tue, 26 May 2009 07:03:31 +0000

Ah I get it ..there is no such thing as duality. And all these experiments could be explained just with the theory of particle plus uncertainity principle.
So light particle always shows on the screen following uncertainity principle. i.e. when you put a slit in the path of the particle it passes thru slit but just because you are trying to ascertain its position in the mid air, its velocity will change uncertainly in the direction of propagation by bending a small but angle. Hence the distribution pattern on screen. This explains the difraction at edges too.
Do ask me the source of uncertainity principle..becos am not too certain abt that.

By: Osip

Osip — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 11:25:48 +0000

Haven't been able to find the video, either, but there's a comprehensive Wikipedia entry on the subject:

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

By: Chip Krug

Chip Krug — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:53:28 +0000

I have not been able to find video described in this episode of a double slit experiment with the addition of a wire grid in front of the screen. The name Afshar is mentioned. Can you suggest a way to find it? Do you have a link?

Thanks,
Chip

PS. I watched the Feynman Lectures and recommend them for a more in depth lesson on this. They are intended for non-physicists and are charming as well as informative. He insists photons are particles, corpuscles, and only appear to act as waves. http://vega.org.uk/video/subseries/8