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March 3, 2015

Light as Wave and Particle (Naming Issue?)

Filed under: Physics,Science — Patrick Durusau @ 2:50 pm

Scientists take the first ever photograph of light as both a wave and a particle by Kelly Dickerson.

light-wave-particle

For the first time ever, scientist have snapped a photo of light behaving as both a wave and a particle at the same time.

The research was published on Monday in the journal Nature Communications.

Scientists know that light is a wave. That’s why light can bend around buildings and squeeze through tiny pinholes. Different wavelengths of light are why we can see different colors, and why everyone freaked out about that black and blue dress.

But all the characteristics and behaviors of a wave aren’t enough to explain everything that light does.

Naming issue?

Before this photo, light behaved as a wave or as a particle. Now we have a photo of light between those two states? Neither of the old terms is sufficient by itself.

Who is going to break the news to Cyc? 😉

I first saw this in a tweet by Reg Saddler

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