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Jun 30, 2025
2 min read

When a photon takes a wrong turn - a (mostly) true story

Even light, the fastest thing in the universe, can be bent or trapped by gravity — especially near massive objects like black holes. This quirky space behavior is not only real physics but also great inspiration for mind-bending game mechanics.

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Did you know that even the fastest thing in the universe — light — can get totally bamboozled by gravity? Yup. Even photons, those speedy little overachievers zipping around at 299,792,458 meters per second, can be lured off-course by a chunky bit of cosmic mass.

Picture this: a photon’s cruising through space like it owns the place. Shades on, music blaring, no speed limit in sight. Then suddenly — bam! Gravity appears like a surprise boss fight. The poor photon gets bent out of shape, literally. That’s what physicists call “gravitational lensing.” Sounds fancy, but really it’s just space pulling a sneaky redirect.

But wait, it gets worse (or better, if you’re into dramatic plot twists). If a photon strays too close to a black hole — game over. It’s like sprinting past an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet. Resistance is futile. The black hole doesn’t even ask — it just yoinks the photon into oblivion.

So yeah, even light can get lost. Especially when gravity’s in a mischievous mood. For us game devs, that’s pure inspiration: invisible forces bending your path, warping reality, or just straight-up eating your character? That’s level design gold.

Moral of the story: No matter how fast or shiny you are, somewhere out there, gravity is waiting to ruin your perfect speedrun.

Stay bright, stay weird! ☄️🕳️
— Your favorite indie devs @ Particle Flow HQ