3 ms·

terahertz waves, which are smaller and travel much faster than radio waves. Well raise my rent.

by BMc2020 3y ago

mikercampbell 3y ago
I literally gasped after reading the synopsis. It is such an incredible idea, that seems strangely (and probably wildly incorrectly) simple.
- rvnx 3y ago
  Maybe they mean FM waves by "radio" ? (which would then imply, "FM waves" versus "terahertz waves") But I agree it sounds funny. A bit like, "we found faster than electromagnetic waves: we are using light"
  - giantg2 3y ago
    They probably mean faster as in transmitting data more quickly than with lower frequency. The EMR travels at the same speed, but you get more throughput.
munchler 3y ago
Talk about burying the lede. We've discovered faster-than-light communication... and we're using it to make tamper-proof ID tags.
- jayknight 3y ago
  It isn't faster than light, it's just faster light!
  - hef19898 3y ago
    Do I have to repolarize my shield emitters? Or ypuld that uave some inwanted effects the EPs grid or warp core? Asking for a friend.
godelski 3y ago
It isn't uncommon to use verbiage where speed is associated with frequency rather than the speed at which a wave propagates across a distance. I'm not saying we should say things this way, but that it is not uncommon. (Consider the audience. It is the general public who does not have such well founded notions. Again, not that they shouldn't, but here we are)
- samatman 3y ago
  There's nothing wrong with saying that blue light is faster than red light, in context, it obviously means the frequency. It might be better to specify, but in many contexts that isn't necessary. But you can't say that blue light travels faster than red light, because that's obviously wrong.
- AndrewKemendo 3y ago
  The problem is that this serves to amplify ignorance because someone is going to think waves travel at different speeds
  - metaphor 3y ago
    > someone is going to think waves travel at different speeds That's a good thing, right[1]? Something about "the one thing all models have in common..." comes to mind. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocity_factor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocity_factor
  - godelski 3y ago
    But waves do travel at different speeds. In fact, different frequencies travel at different rates in different media. Only the speed of light __in a vacuum__ is constant. Which is pretty rare. So rare that even space doesn't have a pure vacuum, though 1 hydrogen atom per meter is pretty close if you ask me. But I did notice the pun.
    - AndrewKemendo 3y ago
      It's really all about the frequency of puns

terahertz waves, which are smaller and travel much faster than radio waves. Well raise my rent.

I literally gasped after reading the synopsis. It is such an incredible idea, that seems strangely (and probably wildly incorrectly) simple.

rvnx 3y ago
Maybe they mean FM waves by "radio" ? (which would then imply, "FM waves" versus "terahertz waves") But I agree it sounds funny. A bit like, "we found faster than electromagnetic waves: we are using light"
- giantg2 3y ago
  They probably mean faster as in transmitting data more quickly than with lower frequency. The EMR travels at the same speed, but you get more throughput.

munchler 3y ago

Talk about burying the lede. We've discovered faster-than-light communication... and we're using it to make tamper-proof ID tags.

jayknight 3y ago
It isn't faster than light, it's just faster light!
- hef19898 3y ago
  Do I have to repolarize my shield emitters? Or ypuld that uave some inwanted effects the EPs grid or warp core? Asking for a friend.

godelski 3y ago

It isn't uncommon to use verbiage where speed is associated with frequency rather than the speed at which a wave propagates across a distance. I'm not saying we should say things this way, but that it is not uncommon. (Consider the audience. It is the general public who does not have such well founded notions. Again, not that they shouldn't, but here we are)

samatman 3y ago
There's nothing wrong with saying that blue light is faster than red light, in context, it obviously means the frequency. It might be better to specify, but in many contexts that isn't necessary. But you can't say that blue light travels faster than red light, because that's obviously wrong.
AndrewKemendo 3y ago
The problem is that this serves to amplify ignorance because someone is going to think waves travel at different speeds
- metaphor 3y ago
  > someone is going to think waves travel at different speeds That's a good thing, right[1]? Something about "the one thing all models have in common..." comes to mind. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocity_factor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocity_factor
- godelski 3y ago
  But waves do travel at different speeds. In fact, different frequencies travel at different rates in different media. Only the speed of light __in a vacuum__ is constant. Which is pretty rare. So rare that even space doesn't have a pure vacuum, though 1 hydrogen atom per meter is pretty close if you ask me. But I did notice the pun.
  - AndrewKemendo 3y ago
    It's really all about the frequency of puns