21–30 of 142 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It’s cool our brains have that as a heuristic for whatever reason. Wonder if you could train yourself to see 1-3?
If you tune up your sensitivity to 1-3 photons, you'll probably find a maddening TV white noise overlaid on your vision.
What is the comparison to modern camera sensors nowadays? Can they detect single photons?
I’ve been aware of this fact as Feynman points it out in the course of the lectures, but find it totally nuts — there is some sense of scale I’m missing. Matter consists of discrete chunks, atoms, but these chunks are so infinitesimal and numerous that there is no question of seeing them and any effect involving a handful of them is far, far below the human scale. Light also comes in chunks, and the number of these c…
Maybe seeing in the dark is simply so valuable that evolution has created extremely light-sensitive eyes for many species? If there was a molecule whose detection in tiny amounts would give a species a competitive edge, we might have noses capable of detecting 5-molecule amounts of this substance.
I’ve been aware of this fact as Feynman points it out in the course of the lectures, but find it totally nuts — there is some sense of scale I’m missing. Matter consists of discrete chunks, atoms, but these chunks are so infinitesimal and numerous that there is no question of seeing them and any effect involving a handful of them is far, far below the human scale. Light also comes in chunks, and the number of these c…
I’ve been aware of this fact as Feynman points it out in the course of the lectures, but find it totally nuts — there is some sense of scale I’m missing. Matter consists of discrete chunks, atoms, but these chunks are so infinitesimal and numerous that there is no question of seeing them and any effect involving a handful of them is far, far below the human scale. Light also comes in chunks, and the number of these c…
I’ve been aware of this fact as Feynman points it out in the course of the lectures, but find it totally nuts — there is some sense of scale I’m missing. Matter consists of discrete chunks, atoms, but these chunks are so infinitesimal and numerous that there is no question of seeing them and any effect involving a handful of them is far, far below the human scale. Light also comes in chunks, and the number of these c…
The visible photons have enough energy above the room temperature noise, that each one can be detected and amplified. Even when that energy is minuscule, it is sufficient to affect a molecule of pigment enough to cause cascade of amplifying reactions leading to detection.
I guess you can see a few visible photons even if the background has a lot of ultraviolet photons that have more energy and frequency. (It may hurt your eyes. Don't try it at home.)
I'm sure you could "see" a TeV photon showering in your eye?
I’ve been aware of this fact as Feynman points it out in the course of the lectures, but find it totally nuts — there is some sense of scale I’m missing. Matter consists of discrete chunks, atoms, but these chunks are so infinitesimal and numerous that there is no question of seeing them and any effect involving a handful of them is far, far below the human scale. Light also comes in chunks, and the number of these c…
Its my understanding that the human finger, run across an extremely flat surface, can detect a (via a quick google: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2276384-your-finger-can... )
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you tune up your sensitivity to 1-3 photons, you'll probably find a maddening TV white noise overlaid on your vision.
I do see exactly such a noise in dark rooms, am not unnerved by it at all.