this post was submitted on 28 Oct 2025
303 points (96.6% liked)

Science Memes

17233 readers
955 users here now

Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!

A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.



Rules

  1. Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
  2. Keep it rooted (on topic).
  3. No spam.
  4. Infographics welcome, get schooled.

This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.



Research Committee

Other Mander Communities

Science and Research

Biology and Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

Practical and Applied Sciences

Memes

Miscellaneous

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 12 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

It'd actually be cool as fuck if we could make some kind of Paycheck-style time machine that lets you see into the past by simply looking at light reflected off other celestial objects.

It could theoretically work looking backwards, but not forwards as it was used in the film. Of course, it'd have to have insane resolution for it to be like a video of what happened on the planet and not just a dot of light.

[–] BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 14 points 3 days ago (2 children)

time machine that lets you see into the past by simply looking at light

You mean, this ?

collapsed inline media

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

lol

Real time, tho. That way we can see photographs from before cameras, too. Watch what dinosaurs were doing n stuff.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Unfortunately light wouldn't remain collimated over a 33 million light year distance which is what we would need to see dinosaurs

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 1 points 2 days ago

How about heat? Or some other radiation? 🤔

[–] 18107@aussie.zone 4 points 3 days ago

You can also watch light move with a camera.

[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Alternatively, and slightly cheaper, put a satellite into orbit and just record everything on the ground it looks at, hang onto recordings for 10 years.

[–] InnerScientist@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

But that's boring, doing it with light is way better.

Also the governments already do that and don't want to share.

[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

But that’s boring, doing it with light is way better.

I get that it seems cooler, but you would be looking at recordings with gathered light either way.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

I can get nostalgia looking at my previous address on Maps because it shows my old Jetta (my first car) in the driveway :D

[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Google maps is one of the only applications that has literally made cry. The other is excel for entirely different reasons.

[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

Google Earth/Maps in VR is pretty wild for visiting memory places.

[–] Taldan@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

As if we're not already doing that

[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

Exactly, you can go on Google Earth right now and view the past.