Can you See the Light?
It's all around us
Hello Friends,
As we sink into the winter season here in Massachusetts, the topic on my mind is light. Specifically: when will December 20th (round abouts) bring the darkest day so my spirits can start rising towards the growing daylight of summer days? Yes. I admit it. I might get SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Hopefully, this little bit of PHI won’t send my health insurance skyrocketing.
SADness
The darkness of these cold nights does not sync with my daily routine—to me, it always feels gloomy. I wake before sunrise and finish working after sunset. It's remarkable that the absence of something we take for granted can have such a powerful effect on us.
But what is this light thing that I crave at this time of year?
Light surrounds us, whether it comes from the Sun or lamps inside. We can't see without out. We know it travels faster than most anything else in the universe (speed of light). Some of us remember from high school physics that sunlight is made of a rainbow of colors when it's filtered through a prism.
And, some of us even remember that light is made of photons.
Photons are just plain weird: sometimes they act like waves and sometimes they act like particles, called quanta. Because light is so present in our life, we don't really give this fact much thought. But, here's a video.
Everyone Wave
Imagine if other things acted like this… you walk into your office and you see your desk is shimmering like a wisp of smoke. As soon as you place your laptop on it, it immediately becomes solid as an oak tree. This is kind of how photons act (along with other quantum things).
You can also think of the holodeck on Star Trek—a fabricated room of hard surfaces created out of light.
And, the funny thing is that while we are constantly bathed in light, we have never seen a single photon. This may not seem like a big deal. But, think of it: we’ve never actually seen the very thing that makes up light. 🤯
Recently, a group of folks in the UK created a computer simulation where they were able to construct what a photon looked like. They weren't actually trying to do this. It just sort of happened.
So much science, and cooking, is like that.
I think this is wicked cool—not only because it looks awesome, but also because it kinda appears like what a particle of something that acts like a wave might look.
As we enter the solstice, the season of darkness and lights and whatever holidays you observe, it might be fun to consider celebrating the photon—the little, magical thing that makes it all happen. The briefest moment of contemplation might bring a deep appreciation of the magic around us (or the quantum world, at least).
That's Fair
Speaking of the holidays… I'm will be participating in a holiday fair this year (third year in a row) with friends from my writing group. It's an opportunity to speak with readers, meet other authors, and get into the festive spirit. I'm bringing my books to share. And, as an added treat, I've compiled these newsletters (up to last week's) into a collection that is now available on Amazon.
If you've enjoyed these little Thursday thoughts, please feel free to share or show your support.
Happy reading and happy writing.
David