11–20 of 46 posts
Is it possible for signals to propagate as waves, without the electrons moving between atoms? Kind of like in this gif, but without them hopping along? https://cdn.sparkfun.com/assets/9/5/6/1/4/519fcd42ce395f804c...
"Quantum electrodynamics and shit. I'm not a physicist."
I wasn't all that impressed with that answer until many years later after reading Feynman lectures.
I would understand the material better if it were presented as an armadillo analogy. http://smbc-comics.com/index.php?id=3892
Tragically lacking in armadillos though. Maybe he could have got further if he'd included a few.
Electricity is being in love. Feynman possibly agrees? http://www.lettersofnote.com/2010/06/you-dont-understand-ord... .
I've always wondered about the design choice for the shape of batteries. It seems like the shape would indicate the current is flowing the opposite way than it does. Something about the positive terminal just says to me "I'm shooting electrons this way"
Electricity is being in love. Feynman possibly agrees? http://www.lettersofnote.com/2010/06/you-dont-understand-ord... .
Wow, one of my favorite scientists dissing one of my least favorite. Thanks for the link!
Is it possible for signals to propagate as waves, without the electrons moving between atoms? Kind of like in this gif, but without them hopping along? https://cdn.sparkfun.com/assets/9/5/6/1/4/519fcd42ce395f804c...
Yep! These are called plasmons[1]. They are sort of like sound waves for electrons, in that they are compression (i.e. longitudinal) waves. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasmon
"Plasmons are being considered as a means of transmitting information on computer chips, since plasmons can support much higher frequencies (into the 100 THz range, while conventional wires become very lossy in the tens of GHz). However, for plasmon-based electronics to be useful, a plasmon-based amplifier analogous to the transistor, called a plasmonstor, first needs to be created."
So yeah, to all those applied physicists in the audience, hurry up and unleash the plasmonstor! (does anyone really call it that?)
I've always wondered about the design choice for the shape of batteries. It seems like the shape would indicate the current is flowing the opposite way than it does. Something about the positive terminal just says to me "I'm shooting electrons this way"
I got the impression from somewhere that plus and minus was defined long before they could track actual electrons, and thus discover that they had them backwards.
is electricity any different than ionized hydrogen?