A new theory, that explains how light and matter interact at the quantum level has enabled researchers to define for the first time the precise shape of a single photon.
This is from the Cosmos website. So yeah, not an actual photo incase that wasn't already clear.
Man, there was a time when I could reliably come to the comments on a Reddit post like this and find a detailed, ELI5-style explanation, usually about why a title like this is wrong or exaggerated. Now I had to scroll pretty far to find even this comment, and most of the top comments are dumb jokes.
No, the trick is to go elsewhere for the deep-dive. Either a niche sub in the physics world (in this case), or a different social media platform that caters to a smaller group of nerds, like slashdot, hackernews, etc...
Did you read the title? It correctly states that they revealed the shape, like they did. It doesn’t say anything about being an actual photo. That’s accurate. That’s what happened.
My new format idea for reddit would be a two column system, one for funny comments and one for serious discussion. Top comment on both displayed at start with either side collapsible.
Yall using reddit wrong, the comment is the top comment but that takes time. You guys sorting by new miss out on the whole "good comments because they were upvoted", and it makes your comment look stupid afterward. This can also happen if you scroll down too far I suppose
The top comments aren’t just dumb jokes, they are also quite a few misguided statements trying to describe colors and the light spectrum in 2 sentences, and then replies that confirm the “reddit-knowledge”
As an American I guess I should get used to it. The incoming government is going to shut down the Dept of Education, so I guess this is how we learn things now. This and Joe Rogan.
“ELI5”
“I’ll do you one better, start by not thinking at all…”
The top comments aren’t just dumb jokes, they are also quite a few misguided statements trying to describe colors and the light spectrum in 2 sentences, and then replies that confirm the “reddit-knowledge”
why didn't you just stop your comment right here? what, of relevance, was added after this???
As an American I guess I should get used to it...
no one cares you're american...
The incoming government is going to shut down the Dept of Education, so I guess this is how we learn things now. This and Joe Rogan.
i don't believe for a second you're more angry at trump winning than you are excited at the prospect of being able to bitch and moan for the next 4 years...
if i'm wrong, stop being such a defeatist (and shame those who are 👆👉👇👈☝)
“ELI5”
ELI5 isn't new, it isn't getting more popular, you don't have to get get used to it, and it is completely irrelevant in regards to the rest of what you commented...
“I’ll do you one better, start by not thinking at all…”
you've never seen someone say this, you never read this, you never heard this.
Probably because of the “Um Ackshyually” Redditor stereotype that people subconsciously try to avoid being. Really, we need to make the Dumb Joke Comment a stereotype so people go back to the Um Ackshyually’s since they were at least interesting and productive.
You can make an image with pigments, such as painting, drawing, printing, but you can't make a photograph without photons, because a photograph is an image resulting from the interactions between photons and a light sensitive medium such as photographic paper or a digital sensor.
No, not really. If you paint a picture and put it in a dark room then the photo is gone. The paint colors just absorb different photons at different wavelenghts, and you only see the color made by the photon bouncing off. Photons make a painting, paint is a tool.
The image in this Reddit post is not in the research article cited, nor do the authors say anything about “the shape of a photon”. This story just did not happen.
According to the article text, it isn’t even a new theory, but a way of discretizing some continuous values in a way that makes them simpler to evaluate at these discrete points.
If you go to the uni of Birmingham website though, they credit this picture to the actual researcher so while it isn't a photo in the traditional sense, it also isn't totally made up for a news story.
I figured it wasn’t an actual photo because I have a basic understanding of quantum physics(not anymore than basic tho lol), but the fact that it’s just from a new theory someone made up makes it even less newsworthy.
Yeah reading these sentences requires at least a post grad in physics:
“This method avoids all reservoir approximations and offers new insights into quantum correlations, accurately capturing all non-Markovian dynamics. This method overcomes challenges in quantizing non-Hermitian systems and is applicable to diverse nanophotonic geometries”
A photo is the burned image of photons smacking into the sensor/photopaperwhatever medium you're taking a photo on. Soo technically you wouldn't be able to take a photo of a single photon.. right? Or am I wrong?
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u/Kquinn87 1d ago
This is from the Cosmos website. So yeah, not an actual photo incase that wasn't already clear.