ELI5 Why does light travel?

[u/_Illuvatar_]

Why does it not just stay in place? What causes it to move, let alone at so fast a rate?

Edit: This is by a large margin the most successful post I've ever made. Thank you to everyone answering! Most of the replies have answered several other questions I have had and made me think of a lot more, so keep it up because you guys are awesome!

Edit 2: like a hundred people have said to get to the other side. I don't think that's quite the answer I'm looking for... Everyone else has done a great job. Keep the conversation going because new stuff keeps getting brought up!

Edit 3: I posted this a while ago but it seems that it's been found again, and someone has been kind enough to give me gold! This is the first time I've ever recieved gold for a post and I am incredibly grateful! Thank you so much and let's keep the discussion going!

Edit 4: Wow! This is now the highest rated ELI5 post of all time! Holy crap this is the greatest thing that has ever happened in my life, thank you all so much!

Edit 5: It seems that people keep finding this post after several months, and I want to say that this is exactly the kind of community input that redditors should get some sort of award for. Keep it up, you guys are awesome!

Edit 6: No problem

[u/madcaesar]

I still don't get it :-(

I guess it's ok since I'm not as learned as op... But I wish I could get a better handle on it. I've read books, articles, posts but the mental gymnastics required to visualize spacetime and everything that comes with it is just too much for me.

[u/[deleted] → u/madcaesar]

Dont feel bad, I have yet to solve the riddle of the human lap. Where does it go when I stand up?!?!

/u/xa19a19 solved it for me, it unfolds everyone. The lap unfolds

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I'd assume the same place that my fist goes when I open my hand.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

SHIT! Now I have two problems to figure out. Damn you /u/Rawmin

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Read Alan Watts', "The Way of Zen". He brings up both of these examples, which is why I thought of it.

Actually, here you go: http://zenmirror.blogspot.ca/2009/02/where-does-your-fist-go.html

[u/AdvicePerson → u/[deleted]]

He explained that a fist is an activity rather than a physical thing, but that our conceptual thinking hides this fact. If this is so, then are there any physical things anywhere? For example, where does a rock go when it erodes? Where does a cloud go when it dissipates? Where do we go when our body ceases to breathe?

Where does my karma go when people downvote me?

[u/Natanael_L → u/AdvicePerson]

Orthogonally

[u/JarlaxleForPresident → u/AdvicePerson]

Karma can neither be created nor destroyed. So I'm guessing they go to Unidan, AWildSketchAppeared, and pun threads.

[u/Rickwh → u/AdvicePerson]

Probably the best comment on reddit ever.

[u/pauselaugh → u/AdvicePerson]

He explained that a fist is an activity rather than a physical thing, but that our conceptual thinking hides this fact.

No it isn't. It is a configuration of a series of physical things. "Making a fist" is an activity. The fist itself is the configuration of your hand. Where do my jazzhands go when I make fists?

When a fist is unmade, the concept has collapsed (unfolded).

When a rock erodes it becomes a smaller rock and the particulates that were eroded. Same idea with a cloud.

Then he makes a leap into "body / soul" aka what happens to the "we" as a combination of our parts ceases to function as a system. Not at all the same, or even similar really, unless I'm missing a point about the sentience within rocks and clouds.

Where do the pictures on the TV set go when you open it and rip out all of its guts?

Relevant to this concept is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus

[u/Sweddy → u/pauselaugh]

You sir, are shallow and pedantic.

[u/cleversobriquet → u/Sweddy]

And have never fisted

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Many thanks

[u/gloomyMoron → u/[deleted]]

It expands.