20.7M views · Mar 5, 2025 · 33:01 · 3 HN recommenders · 5 mentions · discussed 2025
A Veritasium video that follows the principle of least action from Bernoulli and Newton to quantum mechanics, asking whether light takes all possible paths at once. It includes experiments showing quantum waves.
Why Hacker News points people here: HN commenters call it eye-opening and deeper than typical layman explanations, linking it in double-slit and mechanics threads.
“this veritasium video is quite eye opening”HN comment, 2025
“this veritasium video is quite eye opening”
Eye-opening, deeper than typical layman explanations
I really don’t understand the topic much but this veritasium video is quite eye opening and goes into further depth than any layman explanation I’ve ever seen in the topic: this video
“This veritasium video demonstrates, that quantum waves are very real and tangible.”
Shows quantum waves are real and tangible
this video I had learned about the double slit experiment in school, but in my mind it was something of a theoretical construct. This veritasium video demonstrates, that quantum waves are very real and tangible. This is how physics should be.
“Veritasium had a great video similar to this on the paths that light takes.”
Great video with an excellent light-paths demo
Aside: Veritasium had a great video similar to this on the paths that light takes. I'll link to the part where they do the best physics demo I have ever seen : this video
“There's another Veritasium video that has a neat experiment ostensibly showing light”
Experiment showing light taking all paths
There's another Veritasium video that has a neat experiment ostensibly showing light (both lamp and laser sources) "taking all paths" (or words to that effect--I don't really know what I'm seeing or what I'm talking about!) It starts around 25 minutes in. this video EDIT: Whoops. The YouTube video linked by naasking in this comment: link touches on the Veritasum video I linked to and goes to some length to explain that it is NOT proving the light is taking "all possible paths." He also brings up and links to a video on the "Looking Glass Universe" channel in which the hostess recreates the Vertiasium experiment and gives a differing interpretation. (Some commenters there have objections to the experimental setup. Oh boy, I may be down a rabbit hole here.)
“This Veritassium Video goes back further in time and talks about Action, and the Genesis of this idea.”
History of action and the origin of the idea
You know about the Ultraviolet catastrophe? Physics Explained Ultraviolet Catastrophe: link This Veritassium Video goes back further in time and talks about Action, and the Genesis of this idea. this video Chemistorian, The history of Atomic Theory. link
