Physics news update -- The Casimir Effect Heats Up

SDF — 2/14/2007 1:23:52 PM (archived)

Physics News Update

There are some suggestions here that fleeting electromagnetic waves in the vacuum, consisting of electric and magnetic fields, affect matter. Specifically, the electric fields of virtual photons can slightly re-arrange the charge in atoms, causing them to be attracted to electric fields generated by other matter.

I wonder if the reverse is true as well, photons effecting a change in the charge on other masses, and being attracted because of its own electric field. Could this be an alternative description of gravity? Is it possible that gravity doesn't exist, that it is just an electric phenomenon, and there are in fact only 3 fundamental forces in nature?

The whole thread (41 posts)

Physics news update -- The Casimir Effect Heats Up - SDF - 2/14/2007 1:23:52 PM
- Something's not right. - Jacob Samorodin - 2/17/2007 6:53:37 PM
  - Cantilever approach. - SDF - 2/17/2007 6:59:18 PM
    - clarification - SDF - 2/17/2007 7:41:59 PM
      - force and work - nick hoffman - 2/18/2007 1:29:54 PM
- There's more to electricity than meets the eye. Photons, too. (n/t) - Bowser - 2/15/2007 12:24:49 AM
  - Such as....? - R.L. - 2/15/2007 2:05:43 AM
- Thanks SDF - SDAI-Tech1 - 2/15/2007 12:23:54 AM
- It's a stretch, - ER - 2/14/2007 9:57:08 PM
  - Do the electrons of an Atom truly â€œcircleâ€ the atomâ€™s nucleus? If so, arenâ€™t they then in perpetual motion? - Scott Evil - 2/15/2007 10:49:05 PM
    - Not really - ER - 2/16/2007 3:29:46 AM
      - Planet orbitals decay and eventually crash into sun they are orbiting if there is enough time (n/t) - Sawyer - 2/18/2007 1:49:36 PM
      - Well done, ER (n/t) - Fox - 2/18/2007 4:14:29 AM
      - Renderings of what the orbitals look like may be found.... - R.L. - 2/17/2007 4:33:25 AM
      - Not circles - podrock - 2/17/2007 3:41:49 AM
      - Never did think of it that way. Great post. (n/t) - Bowser - 2/16/2007 4:40:21 AM
    - re: note that if true, we could then define Energy, Mass, and gravity all in one equation! - Scott Evil - 2/15/2007 11:09:09 PM
      - You go right ahead... how 'week' is it? (n/t) - R.L. - 2/20/2007 3:37:26 AM
      - One last thought... then I promise to stop attempting to be a physisist... - Scott Evil - 2/15/2007 11:34:43 PM
        
        Of course we still have the dark matter problem...It must be at or near absolute zero - Scott Evil - 2/15/2007 11:36:57 PM
      - re: Wait a minute... Time would have to be in there too...Since Friction causes engery loss over time... - Scott Evil - 2/15/2007 11:11:29 PM
        
        I know R.L. - Scott Evil - 2/15/2007 11:22:41 PM
    - The formula would look something like: - Scott Evil - 2/15/2007 10:56:29 PM
- I doubt gravity is in any way electrical. - TB - 2/14/2007 4:23:39 PM
  - Gravity - REB - 2/15/2007 2:22:32 PM
    - I think gravity is to weak a force to be THE force that holds or creates or "makes rigid" matter from energy. - Scott Evil - 2/15/2007 3:49:08 PM
      - re: I think gravity is to weak a force to be THE force that holds or creates or "makes rigid" matter from energy. - REB - 2/15/2007 4:13:38 PM
        
        re: If only we could dive down to the smallest particle - Johannes - 2/15/2007 10:17:08 PM
        
        re: If only we could dive down to the smallest particle - REB - 2/15/2007 10:32:12 PM
        
        re: If only we could dive down to the smallest particle - Johannes - 2/16/2007 5:14:07 AM
        
        re: If only we could dive down to the smallest particle - REB - 2/16/2007 2:33:27 PM
        
        re: If only we could dive down to the smallest particle - Johannes - 2/17/2007 2:35:29 AM
        
        re: If only we could dive down to the smallest particle - REB - 2/19/2007 4:37:10 PM
        
        Some more thoughts on E=M c squared - REB - 2/19/2007 2:59:06 PM
        
        Auuuugh! Thud! Thud! Thud! (Sound of me pounding head on desk) - R.L. - 2/19/2007 6:46:30 PM
        
        Take some Ibuprofen - REB - 2/19/2007 7:00:07 PM
        
        re: Take some Ibuprofen - R.L. - 2/19/2007 7:23:40 PM
        
        re: Take some Ibuprofen - REB - 2/19/2007 7:31:55 PM
  - Not in the sense that most people think of electricity - SDF - 2/14/2007 9:17:20 PM
    - Not in the sense that scientists think of electricity.... - R.L. - 2/14/2007 10:20:54 PM
      - I totally agree with classical physics - SDF - 2/15/2007 3:28:00 AM

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