Do you believe; and why?

[Dill]

(05-09-2019, 01:30 AM)hollodero Wrote: I think that's wrong :) As this E=mc² formula states, mass is a form of energy. With fusion (or fission), energy gets set free from the resulting nuclei that is not "bound" to become mass again. In case of the sun, that energy (=photons) can light our day, or gets reflected into space, or gives us sunburns or whatever sun rays do. All that isn't a form of reverting energy back to mass (but rather creating heat/movement or do all kinds of processes that are "mass neutral"). Or heuristically, the sun gets lighter with the centuries, but the planets don't get heavier.

Now sure energy can create mass too, e.g. two photons can turn into an electron and a positron - as much as positrons and electrons can turn into energy. I guess that's how enterprise's warp drive works :) --- but really, everything I say here is to be taken with a grain of salt, I do not want to spread fake science or turn into a false science prophet :)

--- Btw. as for faith, I do not believe in supernatural beings like a god, but I certainly can't know for sure. That's all I feel confortable to believe and to say. I guess that's agnosticism.

The activity you describe (photon release, sunburning, etc.) is still comprised of sub atomic particles in various states. 

Let me put it this way.  If you could put the universe in giant plastic bag from which nothing could escape and then place it on a giant bathroom scale and weigh it at 1 pm.  It would be the same weight if you weighed it at  2 pm, no matter how much mass has been converted to energy or reconverted back to mass in the intervening hour.   Possibly.