Scientists Freeze Pulse Of Light

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Scientists Freeze Pulse Of Light 343

Posted by simoniker on Thursday December 11, 2003 @05:37AM from the mr-bigglesworth-looks-on dept.

Smitty825 writes "After slowing down light to slow speeds, scientists at Harvard University have been able to stop light for a very brief period of time without destroying its energy. The article explains how it is different from this previous light-stopping science story - this will hopefully help the development of quantum computers and ways to communicate over long distances without being eavesdropped on."

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Scientists Freeze Pulse Of Light

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Who wants to stop light? (Score:5, Funny)

by trentblase ( 717954 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @05:41AM (#7688175)

Now if they could only figure out how to stop SPAM

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I can't wait for the future development... (Score:5, Funny)

by Ratface ( 21117 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @05:42AM (#7688178) Homepage Journal

Imagine going out to a club and getting a frozen "light cube" in your drink which releases a stream of photons as it melts.

Could bring a whole new dimesnion to the humble Tequila Sunrise huh?

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Stopped light... (Score:5, Funny)

by surstrmming ( 674864 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @05:44AM (#7688184) Homepage

Makes me think of a physics joke.

Q: What is the difference between stopped light and darkness?

A: You know where darkness is.

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In Soviet Russia... (Score:-1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @05:44AM (#7688185)

Had to say this: in soviet russia, the Light stops you !

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Re:Who wants to stop light? (Score:1, Funny)

by glenebob ( 414078 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @05:46AM (#7688196)

Is there a such thing as light spam? Because if there is, you know, maybe it would easier to start with that...

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Re:I can't wait for the future development... (Score:2, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @05:46AM (#7688197)

thrust me, you dont want a block of sodium in your drink :)

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Re:I can't wait for the future development... (Score:0, Funny)

by glenebob ( 414078 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @05:49AM (#7688207)

Or you could drop one in your beer and then it would be li... um I'm stopping right here, sorry...

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Re:Who wants to stop light? (Score:4, Funny)

by umofomia ( 639418 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @05:50AM (#7688215) Journal

Is there a such thing as light spam? Because if there is, you know, maybe it would easier to start with that...

Yep. [spam.com]

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Re:I can't wait for the future development... (Score:4, Funny)

by trentblase ( 717954 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @05:56AM (#7688237)

"thrust me"

Is that going to be your pickup line at said bar?

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Serious! (Score:2, Funny)

by glenebob ( 414078 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @06:04AM (#7688266)

This may prove to be a ray of inspiration for dim wits everywhere, beamed from the heavens to shed a new light on these dark times! Don't take it lightly. How we use this enlightenment will be a reflection on us all.

Altogether now: *grrooaaan*

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Re:Who wants to stop light? (Score:2, Funny)

by glenebob ( 414078 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @06:08AM (#7688283)

A ray of hope coming to us in a brightly colored can!!!

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Speaking of light and darkness... (Score:5, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @06:11AM (#7688291)

Here's a quote from Terry Pratchett you might like:

"Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it."

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Darn darn darn (Score:5, Funny)

by pikkumyy ( 445891 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @06:12AM (#7688296)

Why were there no pictures of this stopped light? .. oh wait

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Reminds me of another physics joke... (Score:5, Funny)

by raehl ( 609729 ) writes: <(moc.oohay) (ta) (113lhear)> on Thursday December 11, 2003 @06:22AM (#7688335) Homepage

Officer: "Do you know how fast you were going?"

Heisenberg: "No, but I know exactly where I am!"

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Phillip Morris? (Score:3, Funny)

by raehl ( 609729 ) writes: <(moc.oohay) (ta) (113lhear)> on Thursday December 11, 2003 @06:26AM (#7688345) Homepage

Messeges in Phillip Morris code are automatically subpoenaed by Congress anyway.

God damn, subpoenaed is an ugly word.

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Re:Man...Imagine the vaccuum (Score:3, Funny)

by trentblase ( 717954 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @06:28AM (#7688352)

It's the color of one hand clapping. Seriously, this is the same type of question as "if a tree falls in the woods..."

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This is nothing new ! (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @06:47AM (#7688401)

Stop lights has caused my whole car, not just the head and tail lights, to a complete stand still, even for minutes, one my way to work for decades !

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Re:Who wants to stop light? (Score:3, Funny)

by Jugalator ( 259273 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @06:51AM (#7688407) Journal

It should now just be a matter of stopping the light travelling through the optic fiber connections. Sure, it stops all other data travelling through the fiber as well, but who said stopping spam never came without certain sacrifices? :-)

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Freezing Light BS (Score:1, Funny)

by TheDredd ( 529506 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @06:59AM (#7688425)

Ha! if they were able to freeze light, where are the pictures of the stationary beam of light floating in the air!!
Come on guys do you honestly think we will believe that in this day and age??

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Re:Ah, but... (Score:0, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @07:10AM (#7688466)

red, of course. (And green before and after)

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Finally (Score:5, Funny)

by UezeU ( 731858 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @07:38AM (#7688535)

We have the technology to create a lightsaber. I know what I'm asking Santa for Christmas now.

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Re:SF story with slow-light windowpanes? (Score:3, Funny)

by markxsd ( 718350 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @07:45AM (#7688544)

This research suggests more feasibly ways of doing this, though
A camera, tape and VCR might have offered him a more flexible long-term solution...

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The light particle was never frozen (Score:5, Funny)

by CrystalFalcon ( 233559 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @07:58AM (#7688585) Homepage

It was just slashdotted, and completely unable to move under the load.

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Let there be light, baby. (Score:5, Funny)

by Channard ( 693317 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @08:05AM (#7688610) Journal

Is that going to be your pickup line at said bar?
What's wrong with 'Does this smell like chloroform to you?'
As for the frozen light, I'm thinking this will herald a new line in novelty items of the type sold at Spencer Gifts, only to be shoved in a cupboard two days later and never seen again.

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Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)

by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @08:25AM (#7688679)

Comment removed based on user account deletion

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Free energy! (Score:5, Funny)

by Channard ( 693317 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @08:28AM (#7688688) Journal

According to the Slashdot summary, it is apparently possible to destroy energy!!! Issac Newton may turn in his grave...
And if we can hook him up to a dynamo and a generator, we've got free energy sorted. Truly, this is an age of wonders.

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Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)

by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @08:29AM (#7688691)

Comment removed based on user account deletion

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Very useful! (Score:1, Funny)

by BallPeenHammer ( 720987 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @08:31AM (#7688694)

I can imagine that soon people will be freezing, or canning, light in the summer, and storing it away for those long dark winter evenings.

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Re:Is brief really very long time for the Photon? (Score:0, Funny)

by CapnJ0nes ( 190520 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @09:04AM (#7688822)

And when the photon STOPS, the clock must be moving INSANELY FAST

I sit here around 8 hours a day not moving at all...trust me, the clock does NOT move insanely fast.

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No, no (Score:5, Funny)

by vjzuylen ( 91983 ) writes: <vjzuylen@hotmFREEBSDail.com minus bsd> on Thursday December 11, 2003 @09:10AM (#7688848) Homepage

They've got it all backwards. They're supposed to be working on a way to increase the speed of light. How else are we going to accomplish a practical form of interstellar travel?

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Re:I can't wait for the future development... (Score:3, Funny)

by pipingguy ( 566974 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @09:27AM (#7688915)

...Imagine going out to a club and getting a frozen "light cube" in your drink

Ice cube lights [yahoo.com]. Not quite the same thing, though.

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Great.... (Score:1, Funny)

by SaturnTim ( 445813 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @09:46AM (#7689039) Homepage

We haven't even reached the speed of light, and already they have a speed trap.

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Re:Man...Imagine the vaccuum (Score:4, Funny)

by Conspiracy_Of_Doves ( 236787 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @09:49AM (#7689060)

Octarine, of course

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Re:Very interesting... (Score:3, Funny)

by GTRacer ( 234395 ) writes: <gtracer308@nOsPAm.yahoo.com> on Thursday December 11, 2003 @10:18AM (#7689269) Homepage Journal

Imagine two naval vessels using Morris code...
Ship 1: meow meow meow meeeoww meeeoww meeeoww meow meow meow
Ship 2: meeeoww meow meeeoww meeeoww meow meow meow meow meeeoww meow meow meow meeeoww...
GTRacer
- woof

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faster then light travel? (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @11:04AM (#7689674)

If we have basically stopped light bringing it to zero miles per second...does that mean we have traveled faster than the speed of light?

Nick: Thetribble (just applied and cant get my e-mail yet to get my password)

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Re:Very interesting... (Score:3, Funny)

by kin_korn_karn ( 466864 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @11:43AM (#7690041) Homepage

Translated:

Ship 1: "I want chicken, I want liver"
Ship 2: "Meow Mix Meow Mix please deliver"

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Re:Stopped light... (Score:5, Funny)

by ripleymj ( 660610 ) writes: <ripleymj@@@jmu...edu> on Thursday December 11, 2003 @01:35PM (#7691099)

"If this sticker appears blue, you're driving too fast." --A red bumpersticker

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"I think it's moving us in the right direction," (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @02:43PM (#7691829)

but i just cant tell where it is!

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Or as Douglas Adams put it... (Score:3, Funny)

by CrystalFalcon ( 233559 ) writes: on Thursday December 11, 2003 @04:00PM (#7692616) Homepage

Nothing travels faster than light, with the possible exception of bad news.

The Foo people of Bar actually tried to use this fact, and built a spaceship entirely powered by bad news, but found that wherever they went they were so extremely unwelcome that there wasn't really any point in being there.

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There may be more comments in this discussion. Without JavaScript enabled, you might want to turn on Classic Discussion System in your preferences instead.

Who wants to stop light? (Score:5, Funny)

I can't wait for the future development... (Score:5, Funny)

Stopped light... (Score:5, Funny)

In Soviet Russia... (Score:-1, Funny)

Re:Who wants to stop light? (Score:1, Funny)

Re:I can't wait for the future development... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:I can't wait for the future development... (Score:0, Funny)

Re:Who wants to stop light? (Score:4, Funny)

Re:I can't wait for the future development... (Score:4, Funny)

Serious! (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Who wants to stop light? (Score:2, Funny)

Speaking of light and darkness... (Score:5, Funny)

Darn darn darn (Score:5, Funny)

Reminds me of another physics joke... (Score:5, Funny)

Phillip Morris? (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Man...Imagine the vaccuum (Score:3, Funny)

This is nothing new ! (Score:1, Funny)

Re:Who wants to stop light? (Score:3, Funny)

Freezing Light BS (Score:1, Funny)

Re:Ah, but... (Score:0, Funny)

Finally (Score:5, Funny)

Re:SF story with slow-light windowpanes? (Score:3, Funny)

The light particle was never frozen (Score:5, Funny)

Let there be light, baby. (Score:5, Funny)

Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)

Free energy! (Score:5, Funny)

Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)

Very useful! (Score:1, Funny)

Re:Is brief really very long time for the Photon? (Score:0, Funny)

No, no (Score:5, Funny)

Re:I can't wait for the future development... (Score:3, Funny)

Great.... (Score:1, Funny)

Re:Man...Imagine the vaccuum (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Very interesting... (Score:3, Funny)

faster then light travel? (Score:1, Funny)

Re:Very interesting... (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Stopped light... (Score:5, Funny)

"I think it's moving us in the right direction," (Score:1, Funny)

Or as Douglas Adams put it... (Score:3, Funny)

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