OT: Speed of light [was Re: Why not a Python compiler?]
Martin P. Hellwig
xng at xs4all.nl
Sat Feb 9 08:56:34 EST 2008
Steven D'Aprano wrote:
> On Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:14:10 -0600, Reedick, Andrew wrote:
>
>>>> 'c' is also the speed of light.
>>> 'c' is the speed of light _in_a_vacuum_.
>> True.
>>
>>
>>>> And since nothing can travel faster than light...
>>> Nothing can travel faster than the speed of light _in_a_vacuum_. There
>>> are situtaitons where things can (and regularly do) travel faster than
>>> light: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherenkov_radiation
>>
>> Nope. It propagates, not travels, faster than light. Go ask a
>> physicist to explain it. It's odd...
>
> Propagate, travel, what's the difference?
>
Unfortunately, I didn't study any of this but I sure do remember the
answer one drunk physic said to me in a bar when I ask him the question:
"Does light travel or propagate?"
He answered: "Depends on how you see light."
He must have studied philosophy too :-)
<cut rest>
--
mph
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