Q&A: Hello Rabbi
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Hello Rabbi
Question
Regarding the new column. I read a bit online about interference. I understand why a water wave plus a trough in the water would give me a flat surface, because it fills it in. I didn’t understand why a light wave plus the negative of a light wave would produce darkness. What is “negative light” anyway? Thanks
Answer
A light wave is not light itself. An electromagnetic wave is a physical phenomenon (an electromagnetic field), and when it strikes our eye it creates in us the sensation of light. So there is no such thing as negative light. There can be a negative value of the wave function (the field).