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Scientists Freeze Pulse Of Light

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."

38 of 343 comments (clear)

  1. Who wants to stop light? by trentblase · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now if they could only figure out how to stop SPAM

    1. Re:Who wants to stop light? by glenebob · · Score: 1, Funny

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

    2. Re:Who wants to stop light? by umofomia · · Score: 3, Funny
      Is there a such thing as light spam? Because if there is, you know, maybe it would easier to start with that...
      Yep.
    3. Re:Who wants to stop light? by glenebob · · Score: 1, Funny

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

    4. Re:Who wants to stop light? by Jugalator · · Score: 2, Funny

      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? :-)

      --
      Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
    5. Re:Who wants to stop light? by DrEldarion · · Score: 3, Funny

      >> Is there a such thing as light spam?

      Yes, we call it daytime.

      The yellow face, it burns us...

  2. I can't wait for the future development... by Ratface · · Score: 5, Funny

    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?

    --

    A little planning goes a long way...
    1. Re:I can't wait for the future development... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny


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

    2. Re:I can't wait for the future development... by glenebob · · Score: 0, Funny

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

    3. Re:I can't wait for the future development... by trentblase · · Score: 4, Funny

      "thrust me"

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

    4. Re:I can't wait for the future development... by DrEldarion · · Score: 2, Funny

      Unless it's a margarita!

    5. Re:I can't wait for the future development... by pipingguy · · Score: 2, Funny

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

      Ice cube lights. Not quite the same thing, though.

  3. Stopped light... by surstrmming · · Score: 5, Funny

    Makes me think of a physics joke.

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

    A: You know where darkness is.

    1. Re:Stopped light... by ripleymj · · Score: 5, Funny

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

  4. Serious! by glenebob · · Score: 2, Funny

    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*

  5. Speaking of light and darkness... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    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."

  6. Darn darn darn by pikkumyy · · Score: 5, Funny

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

  7. Reminds me of another physics joke... by raehl · · Score: 5, Funny

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

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

  8. Phillip Morris? by raehl · · Score: 2, Funny

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

    God damn, subpoenaed is an ugly word.

  9. Re:Man...Imagine the vaccuum by trentblase · · Score: 3, Funny

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

  10. This is nothing new ! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    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 !

  11. Freezing Light BS by TheDredd · · Score: 1, Funny

    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??

  12. Re:Ah, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

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

  13. Finally by UezeU · · Score: 5, Funny

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

  14. Re:SF story with slow-light windowpanes? by markxsd · · Score: 3, Funny
    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...

  15. The light particle was never frozen by CrystalFalcon · · Score: 4, Funny

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

  16. Let there be light, baby. by Channard · · Score: 5, Funny
    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.

  17. Free energy! by Channard · · Score: 4, Funny
    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.

  18. Very useful! by BallPeenHammer · · Score: 1, Funny
    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.

  19. Re:Is brief really very long time for the Photon? by CapnJ0nes · · Score: 0, Funny

    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.

  20. No, no by vjzuylen · · Score: 4, Funny

    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?

    --

    Hee-hee. Dying tickles!
  21. Great.... by SaturnTim · · Score: 1, Funny


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

    --
    http://www.theMediaBunker.com
  22. Re:Man...Imagine the vaccuum by Conspiracy_Of_Doves · · Score: 3, Funny

    Octarine, of course

  23. Re:Very interesting... by GTRacer · · Score: 2, Funny
    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

    --
    Defending IP by destroying access to it? That makes sense, RIAA/MPAA. Go to the corner until you can play nice!
  24. faster then light travel? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    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)

  25. Re:Very interesting... by kin_korn_karn · · Score: 2, Funny

    Translated:

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

  26. "I think it's moving us in the right direction," by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    but i just cant tell where it is!

  27. Or as Douglas Adams put it... by CrystalFalcon · · Score: 2, Funny

    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.