Monday, September 06, 2004

Whats so special....?

Why is the speed of light what it is?


The speed of light - 299 792 458 m/s is considered a very special constant in physics. It is so fundamental a constant that people sometime take its special status for granted. For instance, had the speed of light been lower by a fraction of a millimetre per second, the universe would have imploded upon itself, and had it been a fraction higher, the universe would have long since dissipated!. Such, my friends is the special nature of the value of speed of light!

Do you see any logical flaws in the argument? I do. The question should be "How is the speed of light what it is?" and not "Why", cos "Why" is such an ad-hoc question. Had the speed of light been different, we would still be asking the same question. A "how", on the other hand, is a much more scientific question, cos the question is independent of the value. It is an earnest scientific quest to find out and explain how the value couldnt have been anything else.

The "how" takes away the special status, so unjustly associated with the value, and gives it back to the rightful owner - "the concept of speed of light"!

My recent loss of belief in certain ideals like "partiotism", "my religion", "my culture" can all be traced back to this crucial argument. There is nothing special about the country in which i was born, i just happened to be born here. Had i been born in a different country, i would have been loyal to that... this takes away the special nature of the country. same is the case with my religion and culture, and my parents too.

The only truth is me, and only me. Everything and everybody else is incidental.

i am.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tvam Brahmasi?

--anthro

Anonymous said...

i cant understand how ppl read everything, but the most important part of any blog.

Ishwar said...

i cant understand how ppl read everything, but the most important part of any blog.

Ambar said...

You seem to be pushing the strong anthropic principle beyond its limits. Can't help but agree with the crux of the argument though!

Anonymous said...

I think you too chose to ask "Why" when you could have asked "how" ?