{
  "id": 18284,
  "title": "What happens when you try to chop a photon in half?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/07/22/what-happens-when-you-try-to-chop-a-photon-in-half",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-07-22T14:17:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ars Technica Science",
    "slug": "ars-technica-science",
    "url": "https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/07/what-happens-when-you-try-to-chop-a-photon-in-half/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A photon is a single particle of light, and under normal circumstances, it cannot be divided. However, a photon also does not possess a specific location; it is an extended object. This results in a fascinating scenario when attempting to divide a photon. If a photon is only halfway through reflecting off a perfect mirror and the mirror is abruptly removed, according to a team of Norwegian physicists, the outcome is more intricate than anticipated. The concept of dividing or combining photons is not a commonplace experience in our lives. Shining a single color of light through glass or reflecting it from a surface generally does not cause photons to divide or combine, which explains why our universe does not resemble a psychedelic LSD trip.",
  "summary": "A mirror that moves mid-photon could release a shower of new photons.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}