I'm just wondering what E=MC^2 (which seem rather arcane) actually MEANS in plain old English? And just happened to notice an odd relationship parallel.

So, I was bored, as usual, and my mind wandered slightly to the old question of "what the hell does e=MC^2 actually MEAN?" And I started scribbling, as my writing teacher once instructed, to open the mind up.

And then I remembered the old Intensity formula:

|I|=P/(4Pi(r^2)) or Absolute Intensity equals the power over the surface are of a sphere. Or something to that effect.

Then I somehow connected that with the old E=MC^2 and wondered if they were related.

'Cause if you rearrange E=MC^2 you get M=E/(C^2) which is not far off from |I|=P/4Pi(r^2). The only difference is 4Pi in the denominator of the right side.

So, if we Take M=E/(C^2) and divide both sides by 4Pi, we get:

M/4Pi=E/4Pi(C^2)

So, I guess I was wondering...

Can we make a parallel between the relationship of mass to energy and the relationship of intensity to power? If so, what does it mean, in real terms? I know I'm not a "physicist," so a little help here? Anyone ever make this parallel before? (I'm sure they must have, it's so obvious to me, it must have been to someone else, yeah?) If so, who, and are there any good laymen's references relating to the subject?

So, continuing on (hoping this isn't gibberish).

If we equate Energy to Power and C to the radius, can we equate Mass to the absolute Intensity?

Let's compare the equations again:

M/4Pi = E/4Pi(C^2)

So, I guess what I saying is it looks like Mass/4Pi is equivalent to the absolute intensity of Energy/4Pi(C^2) where C is the radius of a sphere and Energy is equivalent to Power in the intensity equation.

So, what does it mean, I guess? We're considering a sphere with a radius C (if that even makes sense, if it does maybe someone can explain how/why, since I'm thinking that C is the speed of light and not necessarily a distance, per se; or it it jut the distance traveled by light over a certain period of time in a vacuum?). And we're saying that the absolute intensity at any part of the sphere (what size would it be?) is equivalent to the the energy over the surface area of the sphere with radius C. Or alternately, I guess we can say that if we know the size of the sphere and the measure of energy at any region of the sphere's surface, we can calculate the mass of the sphere? Or something like that?

I've really explained this badly, I know. I'm hoping someone understood what I was saying that is good at math and can maybe elucidate or let me know if it made any sense mathematically or physically, if so what it means, and if not. Well, if not it may justbe gibberish. But the equations are so similar... It just seems like there's something there. Dunno.

So, if we compare them directly, does M/4Pi = |I| make any sense, if we're equating Power to Energy and Radius to C? Just wondering. Or if anyone's already written on this, maybe a pointer to some laymen's explanations would be cool. Pretty pictures are nice, or just understandable Engrish. *wink* Just trying to understand how mass relates to energy and vice versa. Seems like mass is just the absolute intensity times 4Pi, in regards to energy over the surface area of the sphere we're measuring.

Heady stuff little bit of a mind bender. Almost seems like mass is just the "intensity" or "push"/"pull" of th energy.

Though it seems weird that it's the absolute value of intensity? That part I'm not quite clear on... Well, okay, I'm not quite clear on the whole thing. But if someone wants to clear it up. That'd be great. :) Just one of those odd little random neuronal connections the brain makes between similar things...