So maybe Star Wars Kid was onto something - scientists have discovered that the lightsaber could become a real thing.
A team from Harvard and MIT, have been exploring the properties of photons: elementary particles that form light. Previously, these were believed to be massless, and incapable of interacting with each other; however, in an experiment, scientists were able to make them bind together, to form molecules, and act as though they had mass.
Harvard Professor of Physic Mikhail Lukin stated "it's not an in-apt anology to compare this to lightsabers. When these photons interact with each other, they're pushing against and deflect each other. The physics of what's happening in these molecules is similar to what we see in the movies."
The discovery has been described by the physicists involved as "pushing the frontiers of science", and believe that it could aid the world of quantum computing.
"What it will be useful for we don't know yet,” said Lukin, “but it's a new state of matter, so we are hopeful that new applications may emerge as we continue to investigate these photonic molecules' properties.”
Never mind new applications, get working towards those lightsabers, quicksmart.
[via Independent]
(Images: AllStar)
