HN Explorer

A quantum effect you can observe with the naked eye

6 points by lcedp ↗ HN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Yh-U8Ro-P0

I find it amazing. You can repeat the experiment using lenses from polarized sun glasses with sun or computer monitor light.

Does anybody know of other examples?

4 comments

[ 4.8 ms ] story [ 26.1 ms ] thread
DavidPlumpton
Double slit experiment with a key ring laser. Liquid Helium.
rom16384
Well one could argue the world is quantum, so that would give you lots of examples! But more to the point:

* The colors you can see on a puddle of water with a bit of oil on it is due to interference [1]

* Certain butterflies wings colors are not due to pigments, but to microscopic structures that cause interference.

* One very striking example is superconductivity [2], where a material can conduct electricity without resistance, and expels magnetic fields, leading to magnetic levitation.

* Diamagnetism: Since water is slightly diamagnetic, that is, it creates a small magnetic field that oposes an external magnetic field applied to it, things with lots of water can be levitated in a strong enough magnetic field. [3]

[1] http://www.kentshillphysics.net/light-optics/thin-films-and-...

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HHJv8lPERQ

[3] http://www.ru.nl/hfml/research/levitation/diamagnetic/

db48x
Fluorescent lightbulbs, you may have seen one.