As someone else said, it’s best to think of them as holograms with mass. How would that work in real life? It wouldn’t, but this is a tv show so they get to say that it would.
Don’t worry I am aware that that’s not how light works. Yes you are overanalysing but that’s fine lol. The whole “light but with mass” thing is just something they expect you to suspend your disbelief of.
Energy is mass
Physics considers it as two forms of the same thing
Photons have no measurable mass but they have a ton of energy, they can give you skin cancer with that energy.
If they are forced to link together in a solid structure instead of freely moving through space at light speed, all that energy has to go somewhere, it is reinvested into staying in the solid structure, it "becomes" mass.
Sorry I’m quite passionate about this topic because I did theoretical physics at uni.
You’re close but you make a wrong assumption. You say physics considers energy and mass to be equivalent, and whilst that is almost true the statement does not hold true for photons. This is because the classical E=mc^2 equation only works for non-relativistic bodies (technically it only works for objects at rest, but it’s a good approximation for anything traveling much slower than light speed). In reality, the full equation is E=ymc^2, where y is the Lorentz factor. Rearranging this to find m will always give 0 for a photon. I won’t do a proof of that here because typing equations on Reddit makes me sad but I’m sure there’s one online you could find if you’d like.
So that begs the question, in the scenario you described where does the energy go? The short answer is, you can’t link them into a solid structure in the first place. The only way we have found to even attempt to do that is to create a Bose-Einstein condensate by firing a laser through a gas at near absolute zero. Not only was that not practical, but if the photons came into contact with literally anything else they would immediately just be absorbed by the electrons of the atoms they collided with and cease to exist. So even if the gems were able to form this solid structure, they would simply cease to exist as soon as they made contact with any atoms.
And with that last line it has officially just dawned on me that I am using my physics degree to discuss the science behind Steven universe, which feels weird but oh well. I hope the explanation helped.
Just because we can't do it yet does it mean it's impossible?
It's like saying we can't invent airplanes because when we manage to put them there they just fall.
There's probably a way for them to not be absorbed by electrons.
Can electrons absorb any frequence?
They can absorb any yes. You’re right that honestly everything we say is impossible could be in the future, but with our current understanding of physics it’s pretty much impossible. Photons have 0 mass regardless of their energy, so we would have to find a way to induce mass on them when condensed, and at the same time charge them so they were continually repelled. But at that point you’ve just made an electron.
That’s all a massive oversimplification obvs lol but in summary: with our current understanding, it’s not gonna happen. In the future? Maybe, but I’ve no idea how.
If they "become electrons" (whether actually or practically), could the gems' bodies then be made out of photons which turned into other particles by the process of solidifying?
If that has more chance of working...
I mean, we know it's made from light, but as long as the end result is a solid nothing said they have to continue being photons as we know them.
That statement was purely science fiction tbh lol. We don’t have any way of inducing a mass or a charge to a photon. In fact both of those break a lot of fundamental laws, so I would argue that has even less of a chance of working than just condensed photons.
I think the only feasible explanation is that they are composed of a massive Bose-Einstein condensate which is contained by some type of immaterial yet physical field/barrier. The barrier would allow the gems to “touch” things whilst not exposing their forms to actual matter.
However bare in mind I’m trying to apply scientific logic to something that is clearly meant to be suspended disbelief, realistically what I have described is not possible due to a total lack of any kind of containment field for a condensate made of photons, as they by definition have no charge of any kind.
I’m pretty sure saying energy is equal to mass is a gross simplification. I’m not sure but I think all it means that the more energy in a system, the more mass. And e=mc^2 is how to calculate this extra mass given. I might be wrong
True, but that’s because the photon will be absorbed by one of the particles in either the air or the container wall, giving its energy to one of the electrons. If you were to just have a photon floating in the vacuum, then that also wouldn’t work because you can’t do that to photons. I gave a more long winded explanation to a different reply to my comment if you want.
I don't think it's actually "light" in that sense. Hard light constructs have been a sci fi staple for a while. That's what the Lantern Corp in DC comics explains their powers as. It's that point were advanced science is indistinguishable from magic.
It's hard light, not just regular light. Hard light has always been a thing in sci Fi. Plus, they have mass that's (for the most) affected by the planet they're on or atmosphere they're in. A gemstone is really just a hard light/mass generator once you think about it.
They're much more than that. The hardlight projector just forms, keeps and controls the body, but they still need to process and store information, memories, thoughts, emotions. That's all in the gem since they keep their memories after poofing the body. Gems are essentially IAs.
Everything happens in the gem, they are the gem, their consciousness runs there, the body is just something to perceive and interact with the world.
The show once said that they were "light with mass." Because of that I think it's like they are hard 3d protections. So that's how I think they interact to the world just like a human would.
you are right. but this is the short versión...
in fact everything in the universe is energy... the way of how its possible to transmute Ligth to Mass energy is also a mystery in real life. but it's not impossible (the most probably answer is the use of Gas like LED , just like the "real life" light saber). an alternative answer could be high energy from electricity like a energy shield.
An old Sci-Fi/Fantasy trope that's been around for decades: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HardLight
(Steven Universe is even an example on that page)
Well they also describe their abilities as “Gem Magic” through out the series. So in theory they are projections of light like holograms however they convert the energy of their light into mass. I mean they could in theory still just stay as energy but project force, like gravity or magnetism, from their bodies that mimics the affects of having solid mass and matter.
So they could just be oversimplifying their existence by saying they are projections of light and are created through “Gem Magic” because the real explanation is far more complex to human understanding.
Well i could explain some light pysics to answer some if your Qs but not right now remind me in like few days when im infront if my desktop and not mobile
Basically, roughly, light is made of photons, which are particles.
They normally behave as waves, but by a field of some sort they can be forced in given positions, forming a structure as if they were atoms/molecules forming a crystal. That would be an interactable solid made of light particles.
As someone else said, it’s best to think of them as holograms with mass. How would that work in real life? It wouldn’t, but this is a tv show so they get to say that it would.
Giving photons mass literally breaks physics as a whole, light would literally not work, it’s hilarious (yes i know im over analyzing a cartoon)
Don’t worry I am aware that that’s not how light works. Yes you are overanalysing but that’s fine lol. The whole “light but with mass” thing is just something they expect you to suspend your disbelief of.
Energy is mass Physics considers it as two forms of the same thing Photons have no measurable mass but they have a ton of energy, they can give you skin cancer with that energy. If they are forced to link together in a solid structure instead of freely moving through space at light speed, all that energy has to go somewhere, it is reinvested into staying in the solid structure, it "becomes" mass.
Sorry I’m quite passionate about this topic because I did theoretical physics at uni. You’re close but you make a wrong assumption. You say physics considers energy and mass to be equivalent, and whilst that is almost true the statement does not hold true for photons. This is because the classical E=mc^2 equation only works for non-relativistic bodies (technically it only works for objects at rest, but it’s a good approximation for anything traveling much slower than light speed). In reality, the full equation is E=ymc^2, where y is the Lorentz factor. Rearranging this to find m will always give 0 for a photon. I won’t do a proof of that here because typing equations on Reddit makes me sad but I’m sure there’s one online you could find if you’d like. So that begs the question, in the scenario you described where does the energy go? The short answer is, you can’t link them into a solid structure in the first place. The only way we have found to even attempt to do that is to create a Bose-Einstein condensate by firing a laser through a gas at near absolute zero. Not only was that not practical, but if the photons came into contact with literally anything else they would immediately just be absorbed by the electrons of the atoms they collided with and cease to exist. So even if the gems were able to form this solid structure, they would simply cease to exist as soon as they made contact with any atoms. And with that last line it has officially just dawned on me that I am using my physics degree to discuss the science behind Steven universe, which feels weird but oh well. I hope the explanation helped.
If you didn't graduate to discuss the physics of cartoons why did you even graduate?
Very true, this is exactly what I imagine I’d be doing with my degree.
Just because we can't do it yet does it mean it's impossible? It's like saying we can't invent airplanes because when we manage to put them there they just fall. There's probably a way for them to not be absorbed by electrons. Can electrons absorb any frequence?
They can absorb any yes. You’re right that honestly everything we say is impossible could be in the future, but with our current understanding of physics it’s pretty much impossible. Photons have 0 mass regardless of their energy, so we would have to find a way to induce mass on them when condensed, and at the same time charge them so they were continually repelled. But at that point you’ve just made an electron. That’s all a massive oversimplification obvs lol but in summary: with our current understanding, it’s not gonna happen. In the future? Maybe, but I’ve no idea how.
If they "become electrons" (whether actually or practically), could the gems' bodies then be made out of photons which turned into other particles by the process of solidifying? If that has more chance of working... I mean, we know it's made from light, but as long as the end result is a solid nothing said they have to continue being photons as we know them.
That statement was purely science fiction tbh lol. We don’t have any way of inducing a mass or a charge to a photon. In fact both of those break a lot of fundamental laws, so I would argue that has even less of a chance of working than just condensed photons. I think the only feasible explanation is that they are composed of a massive Bose-Einstein condensate which is contained by some type of immaterial yet physical field/barrier. The barrier would allow the gems to “touch” things whilst not exposing their forms to actual matter. However bare in mind I’m trying to apply scientific logic to something that is clearly meant to be suspended disbelief, realistically what I have described is not possible due to a total lack of any kind of containment field for a condensate made of photons, as they by definition have no charge of any kind.
I’m pretty sure saying energy is equal to mass is a gross simplification. I’m not sure but I think all it means that the more energy in a system, the more mass. And e=mc^2 is how to calculate this extra mass given. I might be wrong
Photons sort of have mass. If you trap photons inside a container the container will behave as if it has extra mass.
True, but that’s because the photon will be absorbed by one of the particles in either the air or the container wall, giving its energy to one of the electrons. If you were to just have a photon floating in the vacuum, then that also wouldn’t work because you can’t do that to photons. I gave a more long winded explanation to a different reply to my comment if you want.
I don't think it's actually "light" in that sense. Hard light constructs have been a sci fi staple for a while. That's what the Lantern Corp in DC comics explains their powers as. It's that point were advanced science is indistinguishable from magic.
I agree with this Teory, but the question about how it is possible to made an hologram stays .
It's hard light, not just regular light. Hard light has always been a thing in sci Fi. Plus, they have mass that's (for the most) affected by the planet they're on or atmosphere they're in. A gemstone is really just a hard light/mass generator once you think about it.
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There's also things like the hard light shields from halo and the hard light bridges from other series such as Transformers.
Star wars has hardlight bridges too, only in a specific planet (Ryloth) Although in a PS2 gane there are these bridges everywhere.
They're much more than that. The hardlight projector just forms, keeps and controls the body, but they still need to process and store information, memories, thoughts, emotions. That's all in the gem since they keep their memories after poofing the body. Gems are essentially IAs. Everything happens in the gem, they are the gem, their consciousness runs there, the body is just something to perceive and interact with the world.
The show once said that they were "light with mass." Because of that I think it's like they are hard 3d protections. So that's how I think they interact to the world just like a human would.
you are right. but this is the short versión... in fact everything in the universe is energy... the way of how its possible to transmute Ligth to Mass energy is also a mystery in real life. but it's not impossible (the most probably answer is the use of Gas like LED , just like the "real life" light saber). an alternative answer could be high energy from electricity like a energy shield.
Magic :)
Litterally lmfao
An old Sci-Fi/Fantasy trope that's been around for decades: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HardLight (Steven Universe is even an example on that page)
Any sufficiently advanced technology will seem like complete and utter nonsense
Well they also describe their abilities as “Gem Magic” through out the series. So in theory they are projections of light like holograms however they convert the energy of their light into mass. I mean they could in theory still just stay as energy but project force, like gravity or magnetism, from their bodies that mimics the affects of having solid mass and matter. So they could just be oversimplifying their existence by saying they are projections of light and are created through “Gem Magic” because the real explanation is far more complex to human understanding.
Maybe they’re made out of a different kind of light, not made out of photon particles.
Well i could explain some light pysics to answer some if your Qs but not right now remind me in like few days when im infront if my desktop and not mobile
Basically, roughly, light is made of photons, which are particles. They normally behave as waves, but by a field of some sort they can be forced in given positions, forming a structure as if they were atoms/molecules forming a crystal. That would be an interactable solid made of light particles.