I've been thinking....

[acropolite (Phil)]

Something to Ponder on the next rainy night ....

One night when laying awake and pondering the answer to life the universe and everything (which of course we know is 42), I started thinking about the theory that gravity is directly related to space/time. Ok let's start with light. The theorists tell us that light is bent by gravity due to the warping of space time.

Given that, consider the following.

1. Light is energy. We know that because we can use light to produce electricity, cut with lasers and feel heat from infra red.
2. If light is energy, according to Einstein's own theory (e=mc squared), light particles MUST have some mass otherwise they would have no energy.
3. Gravity is a force which acts on mass, therefore light will bend in a gravitational field simply because of it's mass and can't escape from a black hole, once again simply because it has mass.
4. Time is a measured interval between events and we don't have any mechanism to measure it other than by something which has mass (light or atomic) ( albiet very small mass) and which moves and is therefore affected by gravity, or the lack of, so any attempt to measure time is doomed to failure because the very mechanism we are using is not constant. So time may not vary in a gravitational field, merely our perception through measurement.
5. If all the above are correct then light is not bent by space/time effects merely by gravity and gravity need not be related to space time.

All of the above are irrelevant if you accept current theory that light has no mass (which itself contravenes other theories), but if light has no mass why doesn't it contravene Einsteins own theory.

Here's a bit of debate on whether a photon has mass to add to the confusion. http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physic...oton_mass.html and a google search of "mass of light particles" will bring up heaps of material.

What are your thoughts....

[fringe_dweller]

I have read that time is something invented by the Swiss? anyway halftimes over - go the mighty crows!!
kearn

[h0ughy (David)]

Very Very sad Mr Polite! If you have time to ponder that stuff you must have not had much observing for quite some time......

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

When you've done here guys I'll lock or delete this thread. I've moved the original to Astronomy Science. Shame to let a good topic get shredded. So this is the spamming original.

[acropolite (Phil)]

h(zero)ughy wrote

Very Very sad Mr Polite! If you have time to ponder that stuff you must have not had much observing for quite some time......

Sadder still, I woke in the middle of the night thinking of it.

[h0ughy (David)]

but it was posted in the general section?? we have been told not to do it to any other area!!