from an Engineers Perspective
Short videos seem to be an effective communication tool. I am posting some here and also on my YouTube account.
I have made 13 short videos about physics where I comment on the issues about physics. Some are probably my lack of formal know-how, but I think others could be food for thought for physicists and cosmologists
An Engineer comments on the concept of Block Time and uses logic and a basic understanding to explain why the concept is fatally flawed. One can get information on events at different times because of distance and the speed of light. The Event does not “happen” when the information arrives.
The Twins Paradox is about a person in relative motion aging slower than the person not in motion. The paradox is that the person in motion thinks that they other person is in motion. Who ages slower? An Engineer comments on the resolution of this paradox. The comments introduce further areas to dig into.
A static observer sees a space ship take off orbit the Earth for a while and then return. Relativity explains that for light to have constant speed time must slow down for the space traveler. But does it? Or does any measurement instrument slow down due to the increase in mass?
The mathematics of space and time have been hugely successful. But mathematics is a representation of reality. A diagram that shows space-time bending and curving works very well. Too well sometimes. The underlying reality may not match these representations. In fact, it is possible they hamper science progress because no-one (I am an exception maybe) questions some long held beliefs. As an Engineer I look to understand the basics.
It is said that a person in a space ship or elevator cannot tell whether they are subjected to gravity or to an accelerating force. As an Engineer I look for solutions and work out experiments – even if they are thought experiments. My comment is that one can tell the difference.
The Twins Paradox is about a person in relative motion aging slower than the person not in motion. The paradox is that the person in motion thinks that they other person is in motion. Who ages slower? An Engineer comments on the resolution of this paradox. The comments introduce further areas to dig into.
It was established quite early that photons seem to have quantum properties that are associated with the energy. Emission and detection rely on sufficient energy equivalent to the difference in electron orbits. But what about other forms of radiation generation – antenna and black body? Are they really quantized?
This is one of the strange behaviors in the quantum world. Beams of electromagnetic radiation seem to behave as particles although they are more like waves. An Engineer comments on the generation of EM waves by a moving electron which appears continuous. At what point do quantized “particles” appear.
Virtual particles are used to explain many physics phenomena. Do they really appear in reality, or are they a convenient tool? An Engineer comments on this. Why is there no radiation when a virtual particle pair annihilate each other? Seems like energy from nothing.
There is a lot of confusion about how and why the waveform function “collapses” when measured (or observed). An Engineer comments on this as another example of assigning reality to mathematical formula. Yes, the formula works and needs interpretation but some are strange, almost mystic.
What came before the Big Bang? How logical are various hypotheses, and is there any evidence for any of them? Some ignore any “before” saying time and space started at the Big Bang. This is not logical. An Engineer comments, and adds to the possible explanations. This is getting into philosophy.