# What is this strange phenomenon?

Young, in sinc, think two lines narrow, I'm why a bee won't cast a shadow.

What am I?

Hint:

I'm not actually Young

• Vanishing point? – Spacemonkey Apr 29 '15 at 21:25
• Is "sinc" a typo for "sync", or intentional? – aschepler Apr 29 '15 at 21:26
• @aschepler Intentional! – DaveBensonPhillips Apr 29 '15 at 21:38

Light diffraction

in sinc

refers to the mathematical function sinc(x) = sin(x)/x, which often comes up in analysis of diffraction patterns

think two lines narrow

refers to the Double Slit Experiment, a simple demonstration of diffraction patterns

I'm why a bee won't cast a shadow

A bee's shadow, unless the bee is rather close to the ground, gets diffracted to the point where you can't see anything.

• Congratulations, well done! – DaveBensonPhillips Apr 29 '15 at 21:39

The phenomenon you are riddling about is the Particle / Wave nature of light

Young

Thomas Young, famous for the double slit experiment

In sinc

alluding to the fourier transform of the two box functions that produce the slits. The planar intensity of the light will be a sinc function.

think two lines narrow

again, two narrow slits used in the experiment

• Good job, only just pipped to the post! – DaveBensonPhillips Apr 29 '15 at 21:42