Monthly Archives: April 2013

Q: Are white holes real?

Physicist: The Big Bang is sometimes described as being a white hole.  But if you think of a  white hole as something that’s the opposite of a black hole, then no: white holes aren’t real. They show up when you … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Astronomy, Math, Physics | 21 Comments

Q: If a photon doesn’t experience time, then how can it travel?

Physicist: It’s a little surprising this hasn’t been a post yet. In order to move from one place to another always takes a little time, no matter how fast you’re traveling.  But “time slows down close to the speed of … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Relativity | 364 Comments

Q: What is energy? What is “pure energy” like?

Physicist: Unfortunately, “pure energy” isn’t really a thing.  Whenever you hear someone talking about something or other being “turned into pure energy”, you’re listening to someone who could stand to be a little more specific about what kind of energy.  … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Physics | 58 Comments

Q: Why is Schrodinger’s cat both dead and alive? Is this not a paradox?

One of the original questions was: A basic rule of logic is that something cannot contradict itself. It is impossible for P to be true and not true. Doesn’t Schrödinger’s cat violate this law and therefore invalidate logic? Physicist: The … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Logic, Physics, Quantum Theory | 48 Comments

Q: What kind of telescope would be needed to see a person on a planet in a different solar system?

Physicist: When talking about telescopes there are two quantities to take into account; the “light gathering power” and the “resolving power” of the telescope.  “Light gathering power” is just how much light can be collected by the telescope.  “Resolving power” … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Astronomy, Physics | 16 Comments

Q: Is Murphy’s law real?

Physicist: The mathematical statement of Murphy’s Law, as used in scientific communities, is tremendously complex.  But the common form, “everything that can go wrong will”, is fairly accurate and more than sufficient for most applications. The short answer is: yes, … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, April Fools | 36 Comments