Speed of Light May Not Be Constant, Phycisists Say | Cosmology &Astronomy | LiveScience

http://is.gd/AurlR4

Two papers, published in the European Physics Journal D in March, attempt to derive the speed of light from the quantum properties of space itself. Both propose somewhat different mechanisms, but the idea is that the speed of light might change as one alters assumptions about how elementary particles interact with radiation. Both treat space as something that isn't empty, but a great big soup of virtual particles that wink in and out of existence in tiny fractions of a second.

Yossel wrote:
http://is.gd/AurlR4
Two papers, published in the European Physics Journal D in March,
attempt to derive the speed of light from the quantum properties of
space itself. Both propose somewhat different mechanisms, but the
idea is that the speed of light might change as one alters assumptions
about how elementary particles interact with radiation. Both treat space
as something that isn't empty, but a great big soup of virtual particles
that wink in and out of existence in tiny fractions of a second.

hanson wrote:
Empirically, space is NOT empty. In my Israeli friend's words:
Yehiel Porat: "Space is only a host for matter & mass" ... etc...

So, Yossel's "great soup of vps" is still only a manifestation
of the vps playing their games in the space that is their host.

The underlying problem arises, that as soon as we attribute
any other properties to space, like curvature, or time, we must
specify what "new basic thing/ entity" it is that such property
laden space is embedded in...
which opens the door to "turtles all the way down". Bad scene.

On 4/27/13 11:55 AM, Yousuf Khan wrote:
http://is.gd/AurlR4

Two papers, published in the European Physics Journal D in March,
attempt to derive the speed of light from the quantum properties of
space itself. Both propose somewhat different mechanisms, but the idea
is that the speed of light might change as one alters assumptions
about how elementary particles interact with radiation. Both treat
space as something that isn't empty, but a great big soup of virtual
particles that wink in and out of existence in tiny fractions of a
second.



Physics FAQ: Is The Speed of Light Constant?
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physic..._of_light.html

Physics FAQ: Have physical constants changed with time?
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physic...constants.html