In sci.physics.relativity, Sorcerer
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wrote
on Sat, 30 Dec 2006 18:31:11 GMT
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"The Ghost In The Machine" <ewill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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| In sci.physics.relativity, Sorcerer
| <Headmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
| wrote
| on Sat, 30 Dec 2006 15:28:03 GMT
| <7Avlh.191791$bz5.43332@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
| >
| > "Sue..." <suzysewnshow@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1167486944.076621.265240@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| > |
| > | Sorcerer wrote:
| > |
| > |
| > |
| > | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requests_for_comment/Der_alte_Hexenmeister
| > |
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Der_alte_Hexenmeister&oldid=59354775
| > |
| >
| > No I didn't write that, Dennis, you did, you fuckin' liar.
| > I stand by what I said in wackypedia, though.
| >
| > I've never seen an electron, have you?
| >
|
| No one can.
The point is, Dennis doesn't believe in photons because
he's never seen one, and Sue is Dennis because a relativist
said so.
[lecture to an electronic engineer snipped unread]
One cannot see photons, either. The reason why should be
obvious, but let me sketch it anyway: what one is seeing
is a rather complex process starting with a chemical
reaction somewhere in the eye retina (usually but not
always triggered by a photon wandering in through the
lens and eyeball) resulting in a nervous impulse leading
to the brain. There are a number of interesting failures
and machinations going on during the process (and various
"optical illusions" demonstrating certain deficiencies
therein).
Granted, experiments such as Compton's scattering
and Einstein's photoelectric effect indicate that
something is hitting those electrons, and that something
acts as a collection of bundles of energy which is
frequency-dependent.
That's as close to "seeing" a photon as one might
possibly get.