Where Does Light Come From? (Electrodynamics)

It's often said that light is an electromagnetic wave, a disturbance in electric and magnetic fields, but what does that mean? How are they made? Let's take a deeper look at electrodynamics and this history behind the discovery to see if we can find an answer.

Also, thanks to Science With Steph for lending her Scottish boyfriend's voice:
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VIDEO ANNOTATIONS/CARDS

Electrodynamics Playlist:

Turning Magnetism Into Electricity:

How Fast Is Light?
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Einsteinium Crazies:
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OTHER SOURCES

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LINKS TO COMMENTS

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IMAGE CREDITS

Andre-Marie Ampere:

Carl Friedrich Gauss:

Michael Faraday:

James Clerk Maxwell:

Oliver Heaviside:

Big Bang:

[beactivebehappy]

I am kinda addicted to light. It's like I can't even see without it.

[domtron]

The last 30 seconds of this video literally blew my mind. I've never had anyone describe fields as well as you did. I need a moment...I need to go pick up my brain now

[tedsheridan]

I have an engineering background, and have tutored students in EM physics countless times. But this is the first time light as a disturbance in the EM field ever made intuitive sense to me. Thank you!

[IncroyablesExperiences]

Your explanations are very a step further than anywhere else, you just give the right thing that makes it very clear!

[xyz.ijk.]

You make a big difference in many people's lives. Not just enjoyment, not just education, but an actual difference. Well done. And thank you.

[mustafahadzic]

I can´t believe that you made this entire video without once mentioning photons

[puhakpe]

Damn Nick, you should get a reward for making these videos! Being able to explain something as difficult as this so that even I can understand has to be some kind of record! Thank you!

[maf]

I don't think you'll see this but I ain't losing anything I guess
I used to watch your content religiously back when you were a small channel (you have grown so much recently, damn, congratulations). You're part (most) of the reason why I decided to pursue astrophysics as a career and I'm not pretty into it. Because of this, I haven't been watching as much astronomy stuff as I used to on Youtube (most of it is more general content I've already seen in class via excruciating math) but seeing this on my feed made me go, 'Oh, why not?'
What I really want to say is that I've learned more from you in six minutes than it takes me to learn the same topic at college in six months. I'd forgotten just how great this channel is at explaining. Thank you :D

[joseville]

This is probably the best video on light that I've seen! The last few minutes we mind blowing. My take away is that light's electromagnetic field (at least in the case of the antenna) is a signal telling you what some charges were doing in the past.

This video is eye opening, illuminating, enlightening, elucidating! Puns intended!

[andreyassa]

Like always, your way to explain complex stuff to make it easily comprehensible is brilliant. Thanks for another lucid video!

[tommywhite]

Haha, "he saw the light, like literally, he rediscovered light" 😄.
You rediscovered the visualisation of an electromagnetic wave (pattern) here. Wow!

[gardenhead]

"I sense a disturbance in the force... field."

[Cat_in_a_Basket]

Could you please make a video on the electromagnetic spectrum? I've heard it mentioned in a bunch of videos, but doesn't have one for itself. Your videos make much more sense than any other lecture!

[twothreebravo]

I'm having a difficult time putting into words how this video changed my perception and understanding of the fundamental principles of electromagnetic radiation. It's like I'd been struggling at a jigsaw puzzle, I've got the box so I know what the big picture looks like and I know I've got all the pieces but I can't get it to come together. Then you come along and say"It'd be a lot easier if you put the pieces on a table instead of trying to hang them out in midair". Thank you, I feel like I've leveled up.

[poseidonc]

I think that is my favorite Electro-magnetic Field/ Light video explanation ever!

Great work!

[DheerajBhaskar]

Wow! This clarified light so much, of why it's called an EM wave. Also, funnily enough I was thinking "I don't understand physics well. For example, how's light an EM disturbance". This was so timely. YouTube recommendation was spot on this time

[tdoubt]

The bit with the antenna...moving charge causes fluctuations in the field then plug in the delay and you get waves!!! I've never seen this explained before. I've seen the light! Thank you Nick.

[IDMYM]

This is insanely clear. The best part of the explaination is that it sticked to itself from the start as best it could, having very little stretching to the far out of the topic (as most science videos tends to be in order to be accurate).
One the best example videos of ELI5 kind of things. I am saving this for future refrence 😁👍

[sridacool]

Eye opener. Changed the way I see light. I am not new to electro magnetic theory but the visualisations never happened until I saw this video

[pratikdagu]

I wish we had teachers like you who make things so intuitive. Great work!!