Hi... I'm new here (obviously) and I'm in the midst of writing a short story that I hope to have published in Analog SF or F&SF and I have to get a fact or so straight before I can send it in. (so they don't, you know, laugh my story to wherever it is dead stories go...) Anyway.... We know that light is a form of electro magnetic radiation right? Sometimes it acts like a wave, and sometimes it acts like a particle, which would lead me to believe that other forms of EM radiation can also act like waves or particles. Here's my question... (or at least the first one...) If there was a bunch of radiation hanging around in a certain place, interracting with a small number of particles in space, could it be particulate enough to create static electricity? That's my first question... Second question... is it possible that radio waves from, let's say, a nebula, could be interpreted by a receiver as violin music? (that's probably a dumb question though... Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Wow... Thanks a lot for that... Every time I tried to search google I always got crap about bands that sing about stars... And it totally gives my question an emphatic yes... Because the Cosmic Debris on the first link sounds like the background for an electronica song...
You might try ask.com since you searc from a question,you can craft the question to exclude the obvious wrong turns.
Ha ha... I hate ask.com, and anyway, it appears that Mr. Orcot above me has answered my prayers in regards to my second question...
Electromagnetic radiation can excite electrons in atoms, even to the extent of causing them to ionize. So, in that sense, it is possible for EM radiation to create charge separations. But the term "static electricity" is usually used to refer to net charge buildups on non-conductors. If I understand your question correctly, what you're asking is: is it possible for violin music to be transmitted by radio? The answer ought to be fairly obvious.
Ha ha... Funny... (your second answer that is... Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! ) Thanks though, for the first bit...
There's really only one "form" of electromagnetic [it's all one word] radiation. We have all these cool names for it, depending on the frequency: UV, visible light, IR, microwaves, UHF, VHF, short-wave, long-wave, heat... But it's all EM radiation and the ONLY difference is the frequency/wavelength.
Jeez you people are technical... I thought I knew about physics and stuff... I was wrong. Just reading some of these threads is enough to make my head spin... It's good stuff though... Really enjoyable to read... But yes, I am aware that light IS EM radiation... I was just trying to clarify my question slightly... (in the aspect of light acting like a particle...)
These are very rare, if you find one in good quality on the net, consider yourself lucky. Besides you don't have to buy them all.
