Groundhog's Random Banter of Weather Prediction and Anti-Gopherness #120

[Rutskarn]

Statler and Waldorf. They don't have puppeteers, you know. They're demons, like on that one episode of Angel that was so damn creepy.

[Mr. Mud]

I agree with Ruts... By the way, I'm next to you in the Crowd pic. How appropriate... I remember that first night you started posting in RB. I feel old... regardless of your epically-larger-than-my post count .

[averagejoe]

Averagejoe: I've been thinking of something a bit more simple that wouldn't have as many possible holes in it, as some of my other scenarios. Let's say...

I'm standing in the middle of an absolutely dark field, that is immensely vast. I'm shining a flashlight into the sky and the beam of light is visible for let's say... one hundred miles. The distant doesn't really play that big of a role in the case, but regardless, the light is going pretty far out. Now, I spin the actual flashlight around in my hand as quickly as practical, so the beam of light made a complete 180 turn, across the sky. The beam of light is moving at the same rate the flashlight is, so in the time it takes the flashlight to make a 3 foot angling adjustment, it will take the beam of light to make a several hundred mile arc. Correct ?

Sort of. The thing is that the beam isn't a physical thing, it's a stream of photons, so moving the flashlight would just be cutting off the stream at one point and restarting it at another; it's like waving a hose back and forth. The stream of water doesn't stay solid, it curves with the motion of the hose.

It would look kind of like this:

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except the spiral part would be more circular. This is just an instantaneous look, however; all of the light would be moving away from you at the speed of light.

[Mr. Mud]

AJ: Hm, okay, I think I sort of understand... My highest formal physics education was AP Physics, in which I sort of sat in the back, texted, then cram studied and aced the finals .

But, wouldn't that also mean that light can move faster than the pre determined speed of light? Or is there a language discrepancy in the title "Speed of Light"? Or does this not demonstrate light moving fast at all, but just shows blasts of photons moving in a circle sine the beam is not whole ? I'm sort of just spilling my thoughts here with no real articulation, but:

Would these photons, or the rate at which they are being emmitted be moving faster than the speed of light?
And
Does 'speed of light' mean the speed at which light moves or the speed at which photons are emitted from a source?

[averagejoe]

The speed of light refers to how fast light moves; emission rate can be thought of as intensity. The more photons the light source produces per time, the brighter the light is. But all of the photons will be moving at exactly the speed of light (unless they encounter some other medium.)

This:

Or does this not demonstrate light moving fast at all, but just shows blasts of photons moving in a circle sine the beam is not whole ?

is more or less correct. Except the photons themselves aren't really moving in a circle, but I don't think that's what you meant.

[Mr. Mud]

Ah okay, thanks for clearing that up . I was trying to find some sort of "Physics Win" for you, but all I got is...

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.

Okay so...

You may have seen this little proof that 2 = 1:

a = x [true for some a's and x's]
a+a = a+x [add a to both sides]
2a = a+x [a+a = 2a]
2a-2x = a+x-2x [subtract 2x from both sides]
2(a-x) = a+x-2x [2a-2x = 2(a-x)]
2(a-x) = a-x [x-2x = -x]
2 = 1 [divide both sides by a-x]

That last step involved dividing by zero... Bleh. . I thought I has something.

[Rutskarn]

I agree with Ruts... By the way, I'm next to you in the Crowd pic. How appropriate... I remember that first night you started posting in RB. I feel old... regardless of your epically-larger-than-my post count .

Internet's a funny thing, innit?

[Dragonrider]

It's weird for me to look around and realize that I'm actually kind of an oldie-itp.

"kind of" being the operative term.

[Phase]

It's weird for me to look around and realize that I'm actually kind of an oldie-itp.

"kind of" being the operative term.

Man, I wish I was an oldie, such memories...

I'll make my own memories! Like with a sandcastle lobotomy!

[Fredthefighter]

It's weird for me to look around and realize that I'm actually kind of an oldie-itp.

"kind of" being the operative term.

Yep.
Also, for those who haven't noticed, I've managed to get my little sister to join the forums.

[Sub_Zero]

Yep.
Also, for those who haven't noticed, I've managed to get my little sister to join the forums.

What name does she go by?

I doubt I'd notice either, I only really look at this and a couple of other threads and hardly ever post

[Fredthefighter]

What name does she go by?

I doubt I'd notice either, I only really look at this and a couple of other threads and hardly ever post

She's called..... HPsauce.

[Sub_Zero]

She's called..... HPsauce.

Neat. Yeah, I was just checking the new arrivals and found her. Everyone seems suprised you have a sister. Oh well.
So how are the GCSEs coming along Fred?

[Nameless]

What is revising?

And I still have 3 days and 1 year to go. Still exciting for me though.

Apparently, it’s where you sit with a book and highlight everything. I tried that once, I never really got how highlighting all the words helps though.

[Dragonrider]

I have two brothers and a roommate (cycoris) on the forums.

It's weird.

[Sub_Zero]

I have two brothers and a roommate (cycoris) on the forums.

It's weird.

My older brother used to post on the forums. But he stopped doing that a couple of years ago. I'm not entirely sure why. But that's how I came across the forums and I figured I might as well join, even if I don't post a huge amount

[Phase]

I have a classmate in Uncle Festy, but not much else, much to my chagrin, I'd love to have someone else with whom to discuss the forums.

[Mr. Mud]

Bleh, I post in sporadic bursts, so I'm sort of an oldie, or of not. Ronsian if any of remember, actually got me addicted, and now I think even he's gone. DeeRee, you're only like 4 or 5 months older than me, playground-wise . I'll be expecting a 3 year anniversary present a few months after you realize how epic yours will be .

Edit: I don't have any family, or RL friends on the forums much any more... but me and a few playgrounds have got rather close .

[Sub_Zero]

I have a classmate in Uncle Festy, but not much else, much to my chagrin, I'd love to have someone else with whom to discuss the forums.

I quite like not having anyone I know on the forums. It means it's mine alone and none of my friends can change that. I like to keep it separate from my real life.

[Fredthefighter]

Neat. Yeah, I was just checking the new arrivals and found her. Everyone seems suprised you have a sister. Oh well.
So how are the GCSEs coming along Fred?

Not bad, right now, I'm revising for my maths exam which is tomorrow. No worries though.
Yeah, I don't know why people are surprised that I have a little sister (even if she is the spawn of all evil )

[Castaras]

My whole family has accounts.

Lensman is well known in the UKitp circle. He's my dad (fortunately? Unfortunately? Dunno really.)

Starfish has posted once, I think, and now hardly even looks at the forums from what I can tell. She's my mum.

Valdus Fire was an active lurker among the fan comics. Dunno if he still is. That would be my brother.

And then there's my cuddly wonderful fox that is on these forums. ^.^

@^ Hah, I have my maths exam tomorrow too! Edexcel Calculator?

[Sub_Zero]

@^ Hah, I have my maths exam tomorrow too! Edexcel Calculator?

I have mine as well. But it's AQA and not Edexcel. It is calculator though.

[Mr. Mud]

Yes! I finally beat the level in Inkball I've been practicing for since September! Life is complete.

. But Ehrm, no none of my family posts itp, which I am very, very thankful for.

[Quincunx]

Two people from my home forum followed me here, then nestled into the d20 forum. One departed after the worg game disintegrated; the other is still here as sporadically as his online presence on the other forum. No guildies from any game, no RL acquaintances here to the best of my knowledge.

Apparently, it’s where you sit with a book and highlight everything. I tried that once, I never really got how highlighting all the words helps though.

Amen to that. 'Twas always a baffling, blinding year when I got such a color-coordinated textbook. My only guess is that lesson boredom + highlighters = entire paragraphs overlaid with blocks of color without respect to the text. Then again, the quality of the marginalia was always inversely proportional to the amount of it. A body was better off not regarding the previous owners' remarks as study aids, as a rule. The notebooks and worksheet marginalia, on the other hand, made no pretense of being study material, especially after celebrating the end of another school year by going back over the notebooks with an acerbic pen. My friends and I achieved levels of perv that it took the Internet years to surpass.

[Fredthefighter]

Hah, I have my maths exam tomorrow too! Edexcel Calculator?

I've got OCR, Terminal paper, Non-calculator and Calculator tomorrow
I've been doing Modular, so I need to do the terminals tomorrow and the Module 10 exam on the 23rd June.

[Castaras]

Ahhh. Yeah, just Edexcel for me. Fun. ^.^

[CurlyKitGirl]

It's weird for me to look around and realize that I'm actually kind of an oldie-itp.

"kind of" being the operative term.

Don't worry. We still wuv you. Myself, I can't remember when I joined without looking at my Join Date thingy. 2007 perhaps?
Seems right.

And on this forum are my Best Friend (never posted though), some acquaintances and perhaps other people I know from college.
I don't mind. Makes this my thing and mine alone.

Revising?
Meh. It's just rereading your set texts (for Lit, History and Classics) and going over what you've made notes on again.
It's okay, hateful when it comes to M His; depends on the person though really.

[Thufir]

And on this forum are my Best Friend (never posted though)

This for me as well, but with an 'is' instead of 'are'.

[Raistlin1040]

I've been here forever and a day. You'd think I'd have my own army of fangirls (and fanboys too, equal opportunity) by now.

Hm. I should remedy this.

[Coidzor]

Hmm, you seem different somehow, Raistlin, though I can't quite put my finger on it....

Groupies: something that has to be cultivated.

I should see if my brother is on the forums or not... If he ever saw my username/avatar he'd know me in a second, and I know he reads OotS, having gotten my dad to start perusing it and Girl Genius...