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Observation
| Critical Analysis #1 |
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Observation |
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Not A Poet Member Elite
since 1999-11-03
Posts 3885Oklahoma, USA |
Observation While riding on a train, near speed of light, This paradox at once became apparent, A flash of light beside my rails of flight (While riding on a train near speed of light) Spread either way as quickly as it might, As if the speed of light were law inherent. While riding on a train, near speed of light This paradox at once became apparent. Pete Imagination is more important than knowledge Albert Einstein |
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| © Copyright 2000 Pete Rawlings - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Poertree Senior Member
since 1999-11-05
Posts 1359UK |
"I know our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's; I answer hard acrostics, I've a pretty taste for paradox, I quote in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus, In conics I can floor peculiarities parabolous;" ...but can I understand a word of this poem? ... can i heck ....LOL  you've finally flipped Pete, either that or been reading too much of my G & S!! ..lol .... actually 'tis very clever I think ...  p [This message has been edited by Poertree (edited 07-24-2000).] |
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jbouder Member Elite
since 1999-09-18
Posts 2534Whole Sort Of Genl Mish Mash |
I'm liking this recent series of yours very much, Pete. I assume you have heard about the recent experiment where light was sent through a cesium-filled tube and arrived moments BEFORE it was sent. The scientists think they have caused light to move about 300X faster than the speed of light in a vacuum. Makes my head hurt to think about it too much but your poem reminded me of that story. I suspect the idea you are getting at here is that the flash of light SHOULD have appeared to be moving slower in the direction the train was going and much faster in every other direction but it didn't appear to happen this way. Liked it, Pete. Jim |
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Tim Gouldthorp Member
since 2000-01-03
Posts 170 |
Pete, I thought of the recent experiment Jim mentioned too. Light moving faster than light speed. Hmn. Now I've a propensity to be somewhat bumpkionish in all things mathematical or hard scientific so just ignore me if I don't make sense. The idea of observing the movement of light visually is I think impossible. Now I don't think in your poem your observation is meant in a 'visual'way but it is described in a visual way. Not necessarily to change, just something to look at. Anyway, I do like this series of poems of yours. -Ti, |
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Not A Poet Member Elite
since 1999-11-03
Posts 3885Oklahoma, USA |
Philip, Thanks for reading. In truth, the British can, with some effort, understand this poem. Remember it was Newton's theory which was finally not replaced but enhanced or extended by Einstein's relativity. Jim, Yes, I did read about the light in cesium experiment in the newspaper. I have to be a little skeptical of the way it was reported, " beam of light exited the chamber before it had finished entering." My first question is, how long was the beam of light? And you are right on with your suspicion as to the meaning of the poem. Good job there. Tim, Thanks for reading and commenting. Now to contradict you a little bit here. Most of our personal observations of light are, by nature, visual. You're right though that measurements of the speed of light by visual means would be quite difficult, although I'm confident a suitable apparatus could be constructed. Actually, this is pretty close to the way Prof. Einstein described his theory and its derivation in his little book for the masses, "Relativity: The Special and General Theory". Most of the Special Theory was explained by examples relating a "railway carriage" to its "embankment" and the differences in observing light visually from both. Of course, he had a whole book in which to elaborate while I was limited to just 8 lines (really only 5 unique lines). Thanks all, Pete [This message has been edited by Not A Poet (edited 07-25-2000).] |
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pegasus111 Member Elite
since 2000-07-27
Posts 2219ocala, fl, usa |
well, you certainly have shed new light on the subject. |
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Brad Member Ascendant
since 1999-08-20
Posts 5705Jejudo, South Korea |
Pete, I liked the poem. What was this about 300x the speed of light? I knew about the one that made an electron go slightly faster than the speed of light but I never heard of this one. Please enlighten me, guys. Brad PS Pete, I liked your poem. |
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Not A Poet Member Elite
since 1999-11-03
Posts 3885Oklahoma, USA |
Brad, There was a short blurb in the newspaper a couple of days before the poem (don't remember the exact date). I reported that some scientists had sent a laser light through a cesium gas (or plasma) and calculated that it traveled something like 310 times the speed it would have in a vacuum. The paper reported that it went so fast that it exited before it had finished entering. Now that's not a very specific claim as I am confident that I can shoot a stream of water through my garden hose and have it come out the other end even before it finished going in at my end (nothing was said about the length of the laser light beam in the article)There must be more to the claim but that's all I have seen to now. Then again, maybe there is some reason why nothing else has been said Do I sound a little skeptical? Remember the professors a year or so ago who produced a sustained cold nuclear fusion?Pete [This message has been edited by Not A Poet (edited 07-31-2000).] |
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warmhrt Senior Member
since 1999-12-18
Posts 1563 |
Pete, I enjoy these triolets, though physics, geometry, and the like are out of my range of interests. I am learning a tidbit here and there from them, though. BTW, well-written verse...I'd say you are the master of the triolet. Kris |
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