Scientists 'Freeze Light'

[neonplanet40]

I thought this was 'cool'

http://io9.com/scientists-freeze-lig...nute-912634479

[flearider]

so stick a load of that on a shuttle and blast some lazers thru it ..then reach the speed of light with no worrys .. as the bad **** wont go thru the stopped light ...

well it could happen ...

[superlattice09]

interesting ...

[aramil]

Time to start building a quantum computer and network. And then: the TARDIS

[peterb]

The comments were quite good too!

[Otherhand]

Time to start building a quantum computer and network. And then: the TARDIS

In all seriousness, the most interesting bit to me (after the obvious shock had died down in my head about them freezing light for a whole minute) is that they managed to encode data into it. I would love to know what they've got in mind with that, as a technological application - computing? communication?

[superlattice09]

In all seriousness, the most interesting bit to me (after the obvious shock had died down in my head about them freezing light for a whole minute) is that they managed to encode data into it. I would love to know what they've got in mind with that, as a technological application - computing? communication?

I'm not expert but I think if they can "freeze" light for a certain period without changing their property, then they have a light "storage device" and the light property itself is the "data", e.g. being 1 or 0 as in most digital processing. this is analogous to spin hard drive stores data by means of changing magnetic property on ferromagnetic material.

[Tumble]

My brain just popped. That's spectacular....

[santa claus]

That's spectacular....

Indeed.

The trouble is someone will now attempt to turn this into a money-spinner. Perhaps, adverts that 'unfreeze' as they warm inside our brains or something equally banal like ruining all future Star Wars episodes by rendering light sabre weaponry obsolete .

Groan, why am I so cynical?

[Dingo]

I'm not expert but I think if they can "freeze" light for a certain period without changing their property, then they have a light "storage device" and the light property itself is the "data", e.g. being 1 or 0 as in most digital processing. this is analogous to spin hard drive stores data by means of changing magnetic property on ferromagnetic material.

I see where you are going with this.....faster than the speed of light....changing the magnetic property and embodying stored light as propulsion.....that is Radical!!................. and far more sustainable that Nuclear propulsion in the long term.


You sir, have just become a genius!!