The Sunbeam of Yore

[Shelgeyr]

I enjoyed the article, but I have a nomenclature question...

Plasmas shift from a ‘dark mode’, invisible to the human eye, to a ‘glow mode’ and then to an ultra-bright ‘arc mode’ under increasing electrical strain.

Would anyone object to changing the term "dark mode" to something like "radio mode", to lesson the confusion when trying to refute things like "dark matter" and "dark energy"?

Rather than have to explain how the latter two "dark" things aren't real while the first one is, I think it would just be easier if we didn't use the "dark" term at all for plasma, despite it being (to our eyes) accurate.

Would calling "dark mode" plasma "radio mode" plasma be inaccurate or wrong in any way?

Just asking...

[mharratsc]

I know where you're coming from with this bud, and I certainly understand your point.

The problem is that the nomenclature has been in use for many many decades now... heck, it might pre-date 'dark matter' even! Would be a little hard to get it changed now, and using any other terminology to explain the physics might become a little chaotic once people started researching into the science of plasma physics. :\

[Shelgeyr]

Good call, mharratsc,

On the other hand, I'd be more than happy to use both terms for several years until the new one catches on. Heck, I'd even make my own bias built-in (it works for journalists, doesn't it?), for example: "...at this point the plasma is operating in what is commonly called 'dark mode', or more accurately referred to as 'radio mode'..."

Just a thought, but your point is well taken.