Slashdot Mirror


More Strange Bose-Einstein Condensate Behavior

Allen Varney writes "According to a story on EurekAlert, an arXiv preprint server paper titled 'Scattering of atoms on a Bose-Einstein Condensate' reports that atoms striking a BEC sometimes appears to leave before they enter. 'This doesn't imply a breaking of the light-speed barrier, time travel or anything overly exotic but is a property of waves being broken down into component parts and being reassembled slightly differently. [...] As an atom hits the BEC, it is absorbed into the collective state but still exists as a vibration. The vibration travels through the BEC but can escape as an atom once more. The study reinforces the similarity between atoms as waves and light as waves.' Slashdot has talked about supposed faster-than-light travel once or twice (or more) before."

16 of 135 comments (clear)

  1. Already in use? by HiQ · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think Bose-Einstein condensates are used in the making and / or broadcasting of sitcoms and movies. You're watching a movie or sitcom, and you already know what's going to happen. My guess is that you've already seen it just slightly before.

  2. Re:Wierd... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Well .. Actually ... this post is the fr%st ...

    Due to the strange nature of the SEC (Slashdot-Einstein Condensate), this post is the original source for the 'fr%st pst' ....

  3. The question is... by f00Dave · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... would a particle have been emitted anyway?

    Ie: Is there enough information in the 'onset' part of the wave to cause the reconstruction of a particle at the other end, similar to the other 'faster than light' story? I'm betting there is.

    While I'm ranting: Why does the dot keep posting stories about obviously-misinterpreted science news while ignoring *serious* news like the cure for 1/3 of cancers in mice from a week ago?

    --
    .f00Dave
    1. Re:The question is... by NoNeeeed · · Score: 5, Funny

      Why does the dot keep posting stories about obviously-misinterpreted science news while ignoring *serious* news like the cure for 1/3 of cancers in mice from a week ago?

      Because not many mice read slashdot?

    2. Re:The question is... by Alsee · · Score: 4, Funny

      you stole my cheese, you owe me a new peice of cheese

      Can you imagine a Beowolf cluster of cheese?

      Sorry, my bad. Blame it on a lack of sleep.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  4. Well, that was an easy read by mgv · · Score: 3, Funny

    You know, I'd be surprised if more than a couple of /. readers actually understand that paper. I just read it, and its pretty hard core. Well over my head.

    Amazing what gets posted on /. Then again, no-one actually reads the articles, anyway....

    Michael

    --
    There is no cryptographic solution to the problem where the intended receiver and the attacker are the same entity.
    1. Re:Well, that was an easy read by i0chondriac · · Score: 3, Funny

      Scientists today discovered that when news hits a "Slashdot Medium," the news is translated into "comments" which may or may bear any relationship to the original news. These comments occasionally appear before the news is fully transmitted throught the "Slashdot Medium" but do not appear to violate causality.

  5. Typical by BoBaBrain · · Score: 5, Funny

    One minute you're striking a BEC, the next minute 10 seconds have gone by.

    --
    I am a Karma Library.
  6. That's why Bose speakers are so expensive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Bose makes the best speakers, the sound comes out before it comes in.

    I get it now!

  7. BEC? by tsa · · Score: 2, Funny

    It looks like a BEC is something like a Borg Einstein Collective from the atoms' point of view.

    --

    -- Cheers!

  8. Eureka! by Jucius+Maximus · · Score: 4, Funny

    I have discovered a truly wonderful explanation of this phenomenon, which unfortunately the lameness filter will not let me post!

  9. I thought I understood by looseBits · · Score: 4, Funny

    The first time I leanerd quantum mechanics, I didn't understant it.

    The second time I learned quantum mechanics, I thought I understood it.

    The third time I learned quantum mechanics, I knew I didn't understand it.

    --
    Lord, bless my users that they may stop being such fucking idiots!!
  10. Not so new!! by elmusafir · · Score: 4, Funny

    I remember that something similarly shocking was published back then in 1948.

    The article in question was:

    "The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline"

    Let's give some credit to pioneers! ;-)

  11. Re:This is Slashdot... by HiQ · · Score: 3, Funny

    That's because the truly insightful comments left the thread before they were even entered.

  12. Why does this remind me of... by 3seas · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...What are those 5 balls on strings called?...where you lift one and
    release it and when it hits the others the last one goes up. Lift two ...
    two go up, three....three go up....etc..

    Didn't read the article but the comments all seem to reminds me of this
    ball-string device.

  13. Best Cheese Pun Ever by Glint · · Score: 2, Funny

    So a Rottweiler, a Golden Retriever, and a Chihuahua are sitting in a bar, and an attractive French Poodle comes in, and goes "I'll make one of you very happy if you can use the words 'liver' and 'cheese' in a pick up line."

    So the Rottweiler comes up and goes "I like liver, I like cheese, and I like you!"

    The French Poodle goes, "No, that was really dumb."

    So the Golden Retriever tries. "I don't like liver and I don't like cheese, but I do like you!"

    And the French Poodle says, "No, that was equally dumb."

    The Chihuahua, growing annoyed, walks up and says "Hey, liver alone, cheese with me!"