Get the latest Science News and Discoveries

A lamp flickering on and off inspires the math mystery of Thomson's lamp


If you switch a lamp on and off an infinite number of times, will the light end up on or off? Somehow math says both

None

Get the Android app

Or read this on Scientific American

Read more on:

Photo of lamp

lamp

Photo of math mystery

math mystery

Photo of Thomson

Thomson

Related news:

News photo

World’s first observation of the transverse Thomson effect - EurekAlert!

News photo

The Math Mystery That Connects Sudoku, Flight Schedules and Protein Folding

News photo

Thomson scattering is the scattering of photons by free electrons in an ionized gas. Since the number density of scattered photons and their spectral distribution is directly related to important plasma properties such as ne and Te, it is one of the most prominent techniques in plasma diagnostics.