this post was submitted on 18 Feb 2024
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I've noticed that people make the 'surface of the sun' temperature comparison a lot (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] Scubus 10 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (3 children)

I only vaguely recall this, but I seem to remember reading that using lasers we can actually get things into the negative kelvins? Or maybe we get them so cold they become hot? TBH I can't remember and it confused me when I read it, but I remember it being a reputable source

Edit: yeah this is evidently a thing

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (2 children)

That article needs an ELI5 section.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Try this one, I found it easier to at least think I understand what it's talking about: https://www.quantum-munich.de/119947/Negative-Absolute-Temperatures

Basic attempt at eli16: Temperatures are defined by entropy, rather than kinetic motion like we're used to thinking. In certain constrained systems, it's possible to create a situation where there is a maximum energy state, and saturating the particles in the system such that they're all close to that state creates a situation where the entropy starts decreasing (the system is less disordered since all particles are at the same maximum energy). That state where the entropy is decreasing is where negative temperatures exist.

End attempt. Disclaimer, I'm probably wrong, having spent just a few minutes skimming these two articles and trying to summarize what I understood.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

So is it merely a lame joke to compare this to two's complement math or is there something fundamental to be learned?