Feynman got his dollar

[eub]

so hattifattener and I can each have fifty cents: a vampire casts no shadow. It must transmit 100% of incident light. Still, a vampire is visible; it does reflect light. Hence, a vampire has total optical gain exceeding unity.

Placing any optical element of this sort within a sufficiently well-mirrored chamber will create a runaway optical amplifier, which if it is to be applied to peacetime uses must be equipped with an exceedingly fast-reacting system modulating absorbent damping. If this hurdle can be overcome -- perhaps using a nonlinear element? -- vampires provide unlimited free and non-polluting energy.

Comments

Re: did someone say nonlinear optics?

[eub.livejournal.com]

The reason appears to be a subversion of the semiotic apparatus.

Re: did someone say nonlinear optics?

[thatmathchick.livejournal.com]

Uh... my professors never let me use quite that much underlining in essays. Hard to follow, but I think the gist is that vampires do not appear in mirrors as a way to reject the feminine beauty ideals?

Huh?

I'll stick to lasers, thanks.