Zooming In

I don't claim to be a scientist.

And I swear that the following thoughts are entirely original.  So if its been done before, oh well.

I played today with google earth.  For those of you who aren't savvy to it, Google Earth is a collection of satellite photographs which basically allow you to zoom in on any part of the planet that you like.  For instance, when I zoomed in today on my house, I got good enough resolution on the picture to tell you that Thelma, (my 64 Plymouth Convertible) was in the driveway.

This is an amazing technology.  What it got me thinking about was the nature of light.

You see, when I was in college, I took a class called Theoretical Physics.  Pretty sure i earned a "C" or worse in the class.  I didn't get it.  But one of the ideas that we talked about was Light.

You see, there is an ongoing debate going on about whether light is a wave, like sound, or whether it is a series of particles, i believe that is called photon theory or something similar, not sure.  The basis of the debate is based on behaviors that are and can be induced, into the behavior of the things that we can see.

Google Earth.  Something as far away as outer space can gain enough resolution for me to be able to discern which of my cars is in my driveway in Valders.

Ever looked through a high-powered rifle scope?  Something you cant even see with your so-called naked eye becomes crystal clear and in detail.  Exactly my point.

The question at hand tonight is as follows:  How does light work? 


How is it that an image can become blurry, vague, silhouetted, to the point that our eyes can only see some of it, but yet we can magnify it and then see all of the details?  Does this mean that given enough optics, and a field of range allowing us to see it, that we can read anybody's license plate on the planet?  Obviously the evidence says yes.

But how does that work?   Because it was there all along. 

you see, what it seems to point out to me is something that seems to hold true in all of life.  Whatever it is that a person is trying to see, trying to accomplish, trying to learn; given enough time, effort, and desire, will show itself to have been there all along.

Light does not disappear over distance.  It only becomes obscured by other light.  Given enough focus, and the correct optics, those fine details just at the horizon can be brought to, well, brought to light.  The details become clear, and the license plate can be read.

The same i think holds true for the rest of our lives.  With the right combination of attitude and work, the seemingly impossible becomes attainable.

Its time to zoom in.