Space likely smooth and not foamy. Chock another one up for Einstein!

It seems that Quantum Theorists received another blow today. Recent studies of photons from a far off Gamma-Ray-Burst confirm the smooth space-time of Einstein over the foamy bubbling space-time of Quantum Mechanics.

Makes you wonder what else Quantum Mechanics are trying to fleece us with (just like a future space-ship mechanic trying to bill you for replacing that quantum-slider valve on your space ship in the future).

Einstein Was Right: Space-Time Smooth, Not Foamy

When it comes to describing space-time, I am not satisfied with either the word "smooth" or the word "foamy." I suppose that's why I don't often attempt to describe space-time.

reply to post by Krakatoa


Wait I thought this experiment was done ages ago? I've read about this same thing before. The article is new so it must be a repeat of the same experiment or something. Anyway I find this subject interesting so lets discuss this.

"There is a possibility of a statistical fluke, or that space-time foam interacts with light differently than we imagined," added Nemiroff

I'm going to have to go with the latter explanation. I don't necessarily think photons would interact with "foamy" space-time enough to slow down the photons. I also think that the "quantum foam" manifests its self mainly through virtual particles, or what you might "vacuum energy". They're all the same thing. Many leading theories in Cosmology are built around the idea that vacuum energy ads a net energy to the Universe.

reply to post by ChaoticOrder


But even if the quantum foam is not particles but energy fluctuations, photons would still interact or be perturbed in their path (or intensity) by passing through these fluctuations.

Originally posted by Krakatoa
reply to post by ChaoticOrder

 

But even if the quantum foam is not particles but energy fluctuations, photons would still interact or be perturbed in their path (or intensity) by passing through these fluctuations.

No not necessarily. The nature of the fluctuations may leave the photons completely undisturbed. There's way too much observational evidence and theoretical backing for vacuum energy compared to this one experiment which doesn't conclusively prove anything. We simply don't understand the nature of vacuum energy well enough yet to say how it interacts with photons.

Originally posted by ChaoticOrder
reply to post by Krakatoa

 

Wait I thought this experiment was done ages ago? I've read about this same thing before. The article is new so it must be a repeat of the same experiment or something. Anyway I find this subject interesting so lets discuss this.

"There is a possibility of a statistical fluke, or that space-time foam interacts with light differently than we imagined," added Nemiroff

I'm going to have to go with the latter explanation. I don't necessarily think photons would interact with "foamy" space-time enough to slow down the photons. I also think that the "quantum foam" manifests its self mainly through virtual particles, or what you might "vacuum energy". They're all the same thing. Many leading theories in Cosmology are built around the idea that vacuum energy ads a net energy to the Universe.

So basically the evidence says you are wrong, but you are invested in your belief and will believe it anyway and come up with excuses. Not a big surprise. So far challenging Einstein has not gone well for people.

"Quantum Mechanics" are not trying to "fleece" anyone. They have chosen to study a theory that is well-known to be imperfect, but has quite a bit of evidence for its at least partial truth. Quantum Entanglement is a concept that has been proved to function.

The experiment is very interesting, and will have to be factored into current versions of the theory. However, it is true that in a highly chance-connected field such as Quantum Physics, the possibility of a "statistical fluke" has to be acknowledged. It's highly unlikelythat sheer chance made the photons glide right through space time instead of oozing through the foam like Venus being born, but it's possible.

And yeah, this doesn't definitively show that spacetime isn't foamy -- it just shows that it's not quite the sort of foam they thought it was.

Man, now I want a beer. Which is weird, because foam is bad there.

Quantum foam is a description of space-time at the plank scale. Light or it's quanta 'a photon' has no rest mass.

Consider this....

All matter that has rest mass is made of twisted space-time and energy is simply the process of returning this twisted space-time to it's base 'flat' state. As light is energy it propogates through space-time quantum foam like a slipnot does through a string.

So stating quantum foam does not exist because light travels too straight is attempting to think about something outside the bounds of the standard model with a mind bound by the standard model itself.

Korg.