2 theories

bennyboy2606

bennyboy2606

bennyboy2606

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So i was thinking of two things

First

If i were to completely cover a room in mirror, and turn the lights on, and then off again, would the room stay lit because the light would be continuously bouncing of the mirrors.

Second

If you put somes head in a block, and cut through it in Ms with a lazer, would they remain alive untill the head is moved as the cells are still connected to each other.


My science teachers don't know the answer, anyone wana "shine some light" on my theories?

Regards
Ben
 
The light one, yes, if youg to a box that had perfectly reflective sides with nothing else, then light could remain indefinately inside the box.

With the cells one, you'd do damage to the cells and connective neurones, so you'd probably die pretty soon.

Also, according to your profile, you're a year (to the day) older than my mum :p
 
No to both.

No one surface is 100% reflective and internal pressure would force cells to rupture along the cut line.
 
bennyboy2606 said:
So i was thinking of two things

First

If i were to completely cover a room in mirror, and turn the lights on, and then off again, would the room stay lit because the light would be continuously bouncing of the mirrors.
Click to expand...

No, just no. Think about it, mirrors reflect light, they are not a light source on their own. You turn off the light, the mirrors have nothing to reflect, so it goes dark.

bennyboy2606 said:
Second

If you put somes head in a block, and cut through it in Ms with a lazer, would they remain alive untill the head is moved as the cells are still connected to each other.
Click to expand...

You stay alive after decapitation for a couple of minutes after decapitation until the brain runs out of oxygen (I seem to remember reading this), although it is a bit of a major shock and trauma to the body, so you chances are you will be unconscious anyway.
 
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Ben M said:
The light one, yes, if youg to a box that had perfectly reflective sides with nothing else, then light could remain indefinately inside the box.

With the cells one, you'd do damage to the cells and connective neurones, so you'd probably die pretty soon.
Click to expand...

This is how I see it, and given that our mirrors are not perfect, then no.
 
Ben M said:
The light one, yes, if youg to a box that had perfectly reflective sides with nothing else, then light could remain indefinately inside the box.
Click to expand...

But you wouldn't be able to observe it, so it's irrelevant, as it would only work in a sealed system and you couldn't measure light levels without at least some destruction of the light.
 
Dolph said:
But you wouldn't be able to observe it, so it's irrelevant, as it would only work in a sealed system and you couldn't measure light levels without at least some destruction of the light.
Click to expand...

Tree falling in the woods.
 
bennyboy2606 said:
So i was thinking of two things

First

If i were to completely cover a room in mirror, and turn the lights on, and then off again, would the room stay lit because the light would be continuously bouncing of the mirrors.
Click to expand...

Yes, and no. If the mirrors were perfect then the photons would indeed continue to bounce in perpetuity.

However there are two problems. Firstly, perfect mirrors dont exist, not simply on a practical basis, but also because QM forbids it. Secondly, any attempt to observe the phenomenon would, by definition, involve the absorption of photons, thus destroying the effect.

Second

If you put somes head in a block, and cut through it in Ms with a lazer, would they remain alive untill the head is moved as the cells are still connected to each other.
Click to expand...

I would guess not, since the heat would cauterize the wounds, stopping any neurochemical transmission.
 
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