Scientists Have Slowed Light to Almost… 60 KM/H – And Even Stop It Completely – The Daily Galaxy –Great Discoveries Channel
Light, once thought to be the ultimate speed limit, has been slowed to just 60 km/h in a groundbreaking experiment. Using an exotic state of matter, scientists have found a way to control its movement in ways never seen before. This discovery opens doors to revolutionary technologies, from quantum computing to secure communication. Light, the fastest entity in the universe, has long been considered an unbreakable speed limit of nature. But what if we could slow it down—or even bring it to a complete halt? This is no longer science fiction. Researchers have achieved this mind-bending feat using one of the strangest states of matter: the Bose-Einstein condensate. By plunging into the bizarre world of quantum physics, they’ve managed to trap light, control it, and open doors to a future where light itself could be a tool for computing, secure communication, and even redefining our understanding of reality.Imagine a gas cooled to just a fraction of a degree above absolute zero. In this ultra-chilled environment, atoms lose their individuality and start behaving like a single quantum entity—a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). This exotic state of matter, predicted by Albert Einstein and Satyendra Nath Bose, wasn’t observed in the lab until the 1990s, but it has since become a playground for quantum experiments.A key feature of a BEC is its ability to behave like a “quantum fluid,” where atoms flow without friction and exhibit strange optical properties. When light passes through this medium, it gets tangled in a complex dance with the atoms, effectively slowing down or even stopping completely. Think of it as a kind of “quantum molasses” that traps photons in place.Scientists have successfully used a cloud of ultracold sodium atoms to pull off this incredible stunt. By shining precisely tuned laser pulses through the condensate, they manipulated the interaction between light and matter. The result? A staggering slowdown to just 17 meters per second (61 km/h)—as slow as a sprinting human.But they didn’t stop there. In an even more astonishing breakthrough, they froze light entirely, holding it still for a brief moment before letting it continue on its path. This achievement isn’t just a curiosity—it could revolutionize the way we store and process information.You might be wondering—why go through the trouble of slowing light? The answer lies in the immense technological potential that this discovery unlocks.This experiment isn’t just about technology—it raises profound philosophical and scientific questions. Light has always been considered the ultimate speed limit, a fundamental constant of the universe. The ability to manipulate it so drastically could force us to rethink key concepts in relativity, quantum mechanics, and even the nature of reality itself.Could controlling the speed of light one day allow us to manipulate time? Could this research lead to futuristic warp drive technologies? While those ideas remain speculative, the fact that we can now pause light—something once thought impossible—proves that we are only scratching the surface of what is physically possible.Details of this research are published in Nature.Got a reaction? Share your thoughts in the commentsEnjoyed this article? Subscribe to our free newsletter for engaging stories, exclusive content, and the latest news.hmmmmmmmm,,,,, well done.was sandia labs involved in this endeavour?? i hope no light photons were injured.edthank youComment Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
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