[mikhael]

Originally posted by LtNarol

This is especially true since radio waves are not so easy to direct (could be wrong about this, but im pretty sure of it)

EM radiation of any sort can be focused, and indeed collimated.

[Carl]

because they're all made of the same thing: photons. they are just at different energy states.

[CP5670]

LOL I need to try to get here earlier; everything I had in mind has already been said by others by this time.

not really even in bad weather a gyrostabliser laser would be able to track and acuratly aim in tha hurricane it might be in trouble but under most circumstances they are quite useful

I think the main problem with a laser-based communication system is that, in many cases, the target is being obstructed and it is simply not possible to aim it directly. The advantage with radio waves is that the wavelengths of the photons allow them to "bounce off" the upper ionosphere and travel just about anywhere on earth.

You're not getting a higher speed signal with patterned light (same speed). You're not getting more bandwidth from patterned light (same bandwidth). In fact, the only thing you're using a different, and less useful all around, emitter.

That about sums it up. The visible light system would be similar to using radio, but more limited in its capabilites.

One method that might be kind of interesting is to use some of the strange properties some small particles have shown to exhibit. (especially quarks and leptons) I believe that a strange phenomenon has been observed where particles dissipate and similar particles are formed in other locations simultaneously; if this could be properly controlled, it would provide a useful, virtually unbreakable (due to the lack of a 3D medium) communications system.

I haven't studied modern physics really in-depth yet (except for some astrophysics stuff), so I only know the math portion so far. Once these AP exams are over I really need to get more into the stuff...

Actually a half-decent servomotor mounting and a secondary targeting/alignment laser would do the trick.

That made sense to me, actually...

[KillMeNow]

the best form of comunications evice would be be a quatum  twin comincation system (i cant remember the exact name of the process) but you can get two atoms and you join them toeather other somehow and when you change the quantum state of one the other changes to no matter how far apart they are and they change at the exact same time with no and i will repeat this NO LIGHT SPEED DELAY meaning - you could use it to comunicate across teh entire universe in real time but the two machines have to obvioulsy have been built together - other advantages are there is no signal being sent so its absolutly impossible to incercpt the transmission unless way in teh future the figure how that its done through some weird super string theory doohicky that is track able but today we could hop to track it a billion years well maybe a billion lol but you know what i emans lol at the moment we dont know how to track it or even if its possible however the tech itself is only in the earliest stages so its not ready to be made into a comms device yet but in the future it might be the way epecially consider the no delay aspect

[KillMeNow]

oh with regards to light slowing down - you can slow it down - i wasn't refering to the trapping of photons for photon gate computers i was meaning that lght travel slower through water than and air than a vaccum and that can bee seen when ever you see a rainbow thats caused by the speed differenctial beween blue and red light as they pass through water one slows down and is bent more etc

just needed to say that incase it was thought that i ment light could be stopped - i wont say it cant be done since that sort fo thign is always disporived and you loook like an ass but i doubt it will happen anytime soon lol

[CP5670]

The only problem is that I think by the time they figure out how to control the process well enough to use it reliably for communications, the "path" through which the process takes place will have already been explored as well. :D

[Shrike]

Originally posted by KillMeNow
the best form of comunications evice would be be a quatum  twin comincation system (i cant remember the exact name of the process) but you can get two atoms and you join them toeather other somehow and when you change the quantum state of one the other changes to no matter how far apart they are and they change at the exact same time

Quantum-insperability communications, also known as the Ansible (I believe).

[Setekh]

The limit of my understanding was passed some 10 or 15 posts ago. I gotta get to uni.

[mikhael]

Originally posted by CP5670
The only problem is that I think by the time they figure out how to control the process well enough to use it reliably for communications, the "path" through which the process takes place will have already been explored as well. :D

Quantum engtanglement, or as Shrike pointed out, the 'ansible' effect, could, theoretically be used to transmit date via Einstein's 'spooky action at a distance'. Scientists have even demonstrated large scale quantum entanglement (on the order of several thousand atoms). The systems last for fractions of a second, before losing the battle to entropy.

Whether or not quantum entanglement can be used to transmit data faster than c, I don't know. I dont' think it can be, simply because I think we end up in a situation where Heisenburg will apply.

[Styxx]

I want a network card that works that way.

[Unknown Target]

hmmmmmmmm....with the new evidence, I am beginning to see that my theory is starting to wear thin.

Well, if light travels at c, then that is clearly an advantage over radio, because radio travels at a true variable (let's just call it v, just for sake of shortening).
What you have to do is take in account is the v speed of radio waves, which can become slower or faster, or scrambled, due to the environment around them, but light stays constant, uless it is absolutely stopped.
So, since light waves stay at a constant speed, and radio waves disperse, slow down, and become useless over time, wouldn't light be better as a super-long range communication device? Notice, I said super long range, not just from here to, I don't know, Japan.

the best form of comunications evice would be be a quatum twin comincation system (i cant remember the exact name of the process) but you can get two atoms and you join them toeather other somehow and when you change the quantum state of one the other changes to no matter how far apart they are and they change at the exact same time with no and i will repeat this NO LIGHT SPEED DELAY meaning - you could use it to comunicate across teh entire universe in real time but the two machines have to obvioulsy have been built together - other advantages are there is no signal being sent so its absolutly impossible to incercpt the transmission unless way in teh future the figure how that its done through some weird super string theory doohicky that is track able but today we could hop to track it a billion years well maybe a billion lol but you know what i emans lol at the moment we dont know how to track it or even if its possible however the tech itself is only in the earliest stages so its not ready to be made into a comms device yet but in the future it might be the way epecially consider the no delay aspect

This is interesting. Please elaborate. If you don't I will:D:devilidea

[KillMeNow]

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

radio waves also travel at c

light disapates jsut as much as radiowaves only lasers dont disapate over distance and you can create microwave lasers at least (maser's) and its theortically [possbile to do the same with longwave radio too even but i not sure if its been done - but laser comms are only useful for secure line of sight communication - normal raido waves are just as fast just as reliable and you can even bounce them off the ionosphere which maes over the hoirzon commincation possible

[an0n]

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Radio = Invisible Light
Radio can be focused just like light.

[an0n]

you can create microwave lasers at least (maser's) and its theortically possbile

*hides Death-Ray*

I can/could get the plans for a microwave weapon.

[KillMeNow]

as for the quatum doohicky i cant rmember the sopecifics but you change the states of one atom say its spin and the twinned atom no matter how far away will cahnge its spin too at at exactly teh same time so it could be theortically possible to comincate using the spin of the atom to repsent a 1 and no spin to repsent a 0 or somethign to that effect

its instanteous - so no delay between the reaction on mars  over even the far side of the universe

no transmission of any sort that we know of at the moment anyway so cant be entercpeted unless you have the machine the other is twinned too so its entirely secure

[an0n]

Originally posted by KillMeNow
as for the quatum doohicky i cant rmember the sopecifics but you change the states of one atom say its spin and the twinned atom no matter how far away will cahnge its spin too at at exactly teh same time so it could be theortically possible to comincate using the spin of the atom to repsent a 1 and no spin to repsent a 0 or somethign to that effect

Only been done with a handful of atoms and is still highly experimental. Didn't Shrike or someone already post about quantum entanglement?

[KillMeNow]

quantum entaglement - thank you it was bothering me to have forgotten the name =)

[KillMeNow]

that was in responce to my bringing it up =) shrike just provided some addition data on it and that it has been done with thousand of atoms but was it then meakeil that pointed out that entropy then kills it - but someday perhaps we can work something out hisenburg uncertatinty migh cause problems but believe it or not there are ways around it now - i read an article in new scientist abouta  device that allowed you to acauratly measure both quatum states speed direct and spin the whole caboodle that was with photons though and i not sure if entagelment effects them or not but sure the high iq boys will work something out someday

[mikhael]

Originally posted by KillMeNow
...but someday perhaps we can work something out hisenburg uncertatinty migh cause problems but believe it or not there are ways around it now ...

Um. NO. Not just No, but Hell No. Not just Hell No, but No in as many languages as people are willing to translate it into.

You cannot subvert, get around, or otherwise dodge the Uncertainty Principle. The very act of measuring the position of a particle changes its direction. The very act of measuring the direction of the particle changes   its position. Everything you do CHANGES something about the particle in relation to the universe in which it exists.

[wEvil]

Originally posted by mikhael


Um. NO. Not just No, but Hell No. Not just Hell No, but No in as many languages as people are willing to translate it into.

You cannot subvert, get around, or otherwise dodge the Uncertainty Principle. The very act of measuring the position of a particle changes its direction. The very act of measuring the direction of the particle changes   its position. Everything you do CHANGES something about the particle in relation to the universe in which it exists.

Unless you had a totally passive method of observation.  Which is mathematically impossible too, im lead to beleive.

But look at it this way - the uncertainty principle lets you do loads of cool things like make universes and matter out of nothing!