SaganRitual

How can the wave function be the same as the em wave? Doesn't the wave function say something about position and momentum (of the particle)? That can't be the same as the frequency of the em radiation? Thanks for spending the time with me. I got a downvote on my question, which is why I try to avoid stackexchange--people are too critical of naive questions, like they think the asker should get a PhD in physics before asking

That thing about compression was my attempt at summarizing what I've learned from you, in the hope that you could tell me whether I'm understanding. I think basically, the em field doesn't behave like air, for example, with compression waves that totally combine with each other

4. The em field doesn't support compression waves; em radiation doesn't propagate as a compression wave in the em field

Ok, and that really is em-wave interference, not quantum probability wave interference?

I'm not ready for nuance anyway, heh

Are 1 & 2 fairly accurate?

2. Two quanta of em can interfere with each other in a certain way that does not involve a new quantum being created with the two waveforms being added together

1. A quantum of em can cover a range of frequencies

Let me see how much of this I'm understanding

I thought "photon" was just a way of referring to the wave

Maybe I need help formulating the question(s) better

But a photon travels as a wave, I thought?

But I didn't realize that a quantum of light could cover a range of frequencies

I thought photons are waves

So the sum in the em field only happens when the photons pass through the same point in space?

"other photons with different wavelengths" -- that helps a lot

Hmm, I guess they see each other, to make interference happen, but the field doesn't, like, sum them as they pass through each other?

So any photon is an independent sine wave traveling through the em field, and they just don't see each other at all?

Ah, sorry, interfere/interact

Ok, so why do the signals from different towers interfere with each other?

Two signals? Wouldn't that mean two different photons? That would confuse me a lot, unless there's some reason for two photons of the same frequency to combine and two of different frequencies to remain independent

I posted before I saw your edit. I get what you're saying now. So basically, every photon propagates through the em field as a pure sine wave, it sounds like. Could you confirm? Also, the two-slit experiment: is the interference pattern also due to there being a screen? Or is it because the wave in the two-slit experiment is actually a probability wave rather than an em wave?

Ok, but is it made up of red components and green components in the sense that there is a combined wave that would look like the two frequencies added together, or is it simply that photons don't interfere with each other as they propagate through the em field?

I don't have the necessary intuitions in this area to understand your answer. I thought you had ruled out interference earlier because of the linear medium. It seems like I could reword my original question as, "do photons interfere with each other as they propagate through the em field?" Could you give me a yes/ no on that, or is it a bad question?

@JonathanZsupportsMonicaC, @AlexanderGruber, hey you guys, I put some final comments on the answers on my seasonal variation question. Thanks so much to you two and everyone else. I've decided to integrate all these different formulas as selectable options in my simulation, to see what effect they have. But it's taking longer than expected--the bane of the programmer's existence. Once I get it in place I'll send you guys a link or something. Thank you all so much!

@AlexanderGruber One thing I need to do is express my huge gratitude to you and everyone else who's been involved in this. I didn't expect this to be such a collaborative effort -- I don't know if it's the culture here on MSE or if I just got lucky that all the right people got involved, but it's extremely gratifying. And I learned some things about how to manipulate curves that I never learned in school at any level. So, to sum up, thank you! Stay safe!

@AlexanderGruber Hey, it looks like I'm about to get an answer on the question you're helping me with. I've been talking to a Mr Gilhooley in the comments, and he showed me a graph that does the trick. I guess he'll post an answer with an explanation, and then I don't know what. Let me know if I need to do anything

@AlexanderGruber I saw that, thanks so much! I like the culture here, it's really friendly

Hehe, yep, your comment is why I'm here. It didn't register with me when I first heard about this chat that it's a place for people to sponsor questions. Thanks much for helping me!

Hi all, I'm looking for a sponsor for my question (above). I'm having a heck of a time figuring out how to model seasonal changes in day length. I'm trying to use sines and cosines to build a smooth curve, but it's just not working out. Anyone feel like taking it on? I have a low rep because I've used it up on bounties--I'm not a troll, I swear! Cheers

Good night all. Peace, luck, and blessings to everyone.

Hi @LeeWoofenden, I really need to stop doing this!

the person who naively approaches God, prays some kind of a sinner's prayer, and then doesn't find Jesus due to some cultural issue, whether a Muslim in a predominantly Muslim country, or a JW in a JW community (or take your pick from among all the Christian sects who don't know the Jesus you know).

@Joshua If I said something to imply that people will go to Hell because they don't believe the same things you do, then please accept my apologies. As for going to Hell because they don't know Jesus, that takes me right back to the original problem:

@LeeWoofenden I guess we'll be in hell together, for whatever that's worth. Nice hat. Peace and luck

@LeeWoofenden Ah, right, none of these questions apply to your beliefs. As I said before, I wish I had met your Jesus when I was young.

Hi @LeeWoofenden. I was just doing a final proofreading pass before signing off for the evening. I look forward to any replies you may have. Peace and luck to you

@bruisedreed It is the easier path for me, because my heart makes the wise path unbearable

@bruisedreed Forgive me, I choose the path of foolishness

@bruisedreed I'm the kind of foolish person you described

@bruisedreed I am a foolish person

I meant four. I had six in mind, but they boiled down further. The problem is that everyone says these exact same things, and everyone comes to the conclusion that everyone else is wrong. And millions of them think that the other guys are so wrong that they'll go to Hell.

(1) Ask God for guidance and he will show you the way, (2) Don't listen to those other guys, (3) Your rebellious attitude is blinding you to the truth, (4) I don't know why, but I know that God is leading me on the right path

I'm not asking you guys to explain it to me. I doubt very seriously you could tell me anything I haven't already heard. It all boils down to six or so fundamental answers, no matter how much doctrine or interpretation or tradition or whatever is wrapped around it:

I don't see how one person can be credited for having a belief that has been ingrained by their culture while another person can be penalized for having a different belief that has been equally ingrained.

Why would God accept such a prayer from one person, who just happens to have been born in a culture that says Jesus is great and Muhammad is a fraud, but reject the exact same prayer from another person, who just happens to have been born in a culture that says Jesus is great but Muhammad is better?

I mean, it seems to me that anyone can pray a sinner's prayer, no matter how naive: "God, I know I'm a sinner, and I want to do your will, please guide me." Why would God accept that prayer from one person but not from another?

So I'm just as troubled by such fundamental disagreements among Christians as I am by the fundamental disagreements between Christians and Muslims. I have precisely the same question: Why would God allow JWs, or Catholics, or Swedenborgians, or anyone else to believe they're talking to him when they're actually talking to thin air?

(Not to mention that all but the most progressive Muslims think that all Christians are going to Hell, because worshiping Jesus is unambiguously the worst sin anyone can possibly commit.)