Physics in the News

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Researchers reveal why giant black hole’s ‘galactic fireworks’ were a flop(VIDEO)

Physicist George Ellis knocks physicists for knocking philosophy, falsification, and free will

"You cannot do physics or cosmology without an assumed philosophical basis," says George Ellis. (Credit: David Monniaux) — “You cannot do physics or cosmology without an assumed philosophical basis,” says George Ellis. (Credit: David Monniaux)

via scientificamerican

Boosting the force of empty space

Two atoms exchanging a virtual photon. Empty space around them is not as empty as one might think. (Credit: Vienna University of Technology, TU Vienna)

Beyond energy, matter, time and space

New particles may yet be discovered, and even new laws. But it is almost taken for granted that everything from physics to biology, including the mind, ultimately comes down to four fundamental concepts: matter and energy interacting in an arena of space and time. (Credit: Carl Wiens)

‘Quantum Bounce’ theory claims black holes explode

Kepler's Supernova Remnant "On October 9, 1604, sky watchers -- including astronomer Johannes Kepler, spotted a "new star" in the western sky, rivaling the brilliance of nearby planets. "Kepler's supernova" was the last exploding supernova seen in our Milky Way galaxy. (Credit: NASA/ESA/JHU/R.Sankrit & W.Blair) — Kepler’s Supernova Remnant “On October 9, 1604, sky watchers — including astronomer Johannes Kepler, spotted a “new star” in the western sky, rivaling the brilliance of nearby planets. “Kepler’s supernova” was the last exploding supernova seen in our Milky Way galaxy. (Credit: NASA/ESA/JHU/R.Sankrit & W.Blair)

We only use 10% of our brains? That’s a myth

A Diffusion Spectrum MRI (DSI) of the human brain obtained with the MGH-UCLA Human ?Connectom? Scanner. The fiber tracks are color-coded by direction: red=left-right, green =anterior-posterior, blue=through brain stem. (Credit: National Institutes of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and National Institutes of Health) — A Diffusion Spectrum MRI (DSI) of the human brain obtained with the MGH-UCLA Human ‘Connectom’ Scanner. The fiber tracks are color-coded by direction: red=left-right, green=anterior-posterior, blue=through brain stem. (Credit: National Institutes of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and National Institutes of Health)

via theatlantic

Physics in the News

Monday, July 21, 2014

Astronauts testing free-flying “housekeeper” robots

Three satellites fly in formation as part of the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) investigation. This image was taken during Expedition 14 in the Destiny laboratory module. (Credit: NASA)

Rare photos reveal fascinating views of the Apollo 11 moon landing

Buzz Aldrin listening to mission control transmission during translunar coast NASA/Project Apollo Archive — Buzz Aldrin listening to mission control transmission during translunar coast. (Credit: NASA/Project Apollo Archive)

New noble gas cage for extracting radioactive elements from air and water

In this computer simulation, light and dark purple highlight the cavities within the 3D pore structure of CC3. (Credit: Nature Materials 2014)

Physicists succeed in revealing the scaling behaviour of exotic giant molecules

According to Efimov's prediction, bound states of three atoms can be universally described under certain conditions. The scientist found that infinitely many quantum mechanical bound states for the "ménage à trois" exist, even if two of the atoms cannot bind together. (Credit: Heidelberg Uni.) — According to Efimov’s prediction, bound states of three atoms can be universally described under certain conditions. The scientist found that infinitely many quantum mechanical bound states for the “ménage à trois” exist, even if two of the atoms cannot bind together. (Credit: Heidelberg Uni.)

Vast rock arches sculpt themselves out of sand

Delicate Arch and many other gigantic arches in the US are made of the stuff. It is a "locked sand", whose angular grains can catch on each other.(Credit: Brad Goldpaint/Aurora Open/Corbis) — Delicate Arch and many other gigantic arches in the US are made of the stuff. It is a “locked sand”, whose angular grains can catch on each other.(Credit: Brad Goldpaint/Aurora Open/Corbis)

via newscientist

Researchers watched electrons jumping between fragments of exploding molecules

An artistic view of the electron transfer inside an iodomethane molecule. After the interaction with an ultrafast X-ray laser, the electrons from the methyl group, on the right, jump to the iodine atom, on the left. (Credit: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory) — An artistic view of the electron transfer inside an iodomethane molecule. After the interaction with an ultra fast X-ray laser, the electrons from the methyl group, on the right, jump to the iodine atom, on the left. (Credit: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

Physics in the News

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Diversity in the Robot Reporter Newsroom

(Credit: The Verge) — The Associated Press recently announced a big new hire: A robot reporter from Automated Insights (AI) would be employed to write up to 4,400 earnings report stories per quarter. (Credit: The Verge)

Bee-Inspired bots skitter and swarm at NYC’s Museum of Mathematics

Credit: Rsorokanich

Fear a terrifying killer robot revolution?

MIT's robot fingers get a grip. (Credit: Melanie Gonick/MIT) — MIT’s robot fingers get a grip. (Credit: Melanie Gonick/MIT)

via theregister

Can Our Minds Control Electronic Devices?

Brainwave electrodes for regenerative musical performance (Credit: BY-SA 3.0)

via theepochtimes

Does anyone outside Silicon Valley even want a smart watch?

In the past week, I’ve been called “Inspector Gadget” twice, had a near-calamitous accident involving spray-on sunblock, and felt my arm vibrate so often I started treating it as a phantom limb. (Credit: Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine)

NASA Rover’s images show laser spark martian rock(VIDEO)

via sciencedaily

US Department of Energy funds new 5-year search for ‘dark light’

US Department of Energy is funding Dr. Peter W. Graham research effort to the tune of $750,000.

Physics in the News

Friday, July 18, 2014

Is the universe a bubble? Let’s check(VIDEO)

via perimeterinstitute

Meet the electric life forms that live on pure energy(VIDEO)

via newscientist

Scientists crush diamond with pressure from world’s biggest laser(VIDEO)

via upi

Asteroid Vesta Has a Colorful History(VIDEO)

via nationalgeographic

NASA space station commander discusses life and work floatig in space(VIDEO)

Strange “beads on a string” star formation explained(VIDEO)

via fromquarkstoquasars

Physics in the News

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Breaking news on the ISEE-3 mission: It may not be lost – it’s those “O” rings again

High temperatures expanding the seal material could have either impeded the flow, or have precluded the latch valve from opening even with the microswitch indicated to telemetry that the valve was open. — High temperatures expanding the seal material could have either impeded the flow, or have precluded the latch valve from opening even with the microswitch indicated to telemetry that the valve was open. (Credit: Farquhar, R, Muhonen, D, Church, L, Curtis, M.S)

via wattsupwiththat

Deep-space radio waves ‘heard’ at opposite points on Earth(VIDEO)

New data shows Earth’s magnetic field is weakening fast(VIDEO)

via weather.com

Happy birthday, Matt Bunting! Dmitri hexapod creator

Physicists detect process even rarer than the long-sought Higgs particle

Brookhaven Lab/ATLAS physicist Marc-André Pleier adjusting detector components. (Credit: Brookhaven Lab/ATLAS) — Physicist Marc-André Pleier adjusting detector components. (Credit: Brookhaven Lab/ATLAS)

via bnl

Huge Meteorite on Mars Discovered by NASA’s Curiosity Rover

This photo by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the huge iron meteorite "Lebanon" (7 feet wide) and its smaller companion "Lebanon B." The two meteorites were found by Curiosity on May 25, 2014. The circular insets are more detailed views by Curiosity's Chem-Cam instrument overlaid on an image by the rover's Remote Micro-Imager. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/LPGNantes/CNRS/IAS/MSSS) — This photo by NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover shows the huge iron meteorite “Lebanon” (7 feet wide) and its smaller companion “Lebanon B.” The two meteorites were found by Curiosity on May 25, 2014. The circular insets are more detailed views by Curiosity’s Chem-Cam instrument overlaid on an image by the rover’s Remote Micro-Imager.
(Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/LPGNantes/CNRS/IAS/MSSS)

Single hotspot may be the source of many ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays

The hotspot map for ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays. (Credit: Telescope Array)

via arstechnica

Cassini spacecraft’s new look at Saturn’s colossal hexagon storm

(Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI) — The clear central eye of the storm is about 2000 km across – ten times the typical size on Earth – and clouds at the outer edge of the hurricane on Saturn are moving at more than 500 kph – rather faster than on Earth. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI)

via dailygalaxy

Large number of dark matter peaks found using gravitational lensing

This map shows the distribution of dark matter (black) in the Universe, overlapping with optical measured clusters of galaxies (red circles). The mass peaks in the map contain significant cosmological information, will provide us with an improved understanding about the dark side of the Universe. The size of this map is about 4 square degrees corresponding to only 2.5% of the full CS82 survey footprint shown in the next figure. (Credit: CS82, SDSS)

Scientists Believe There May Be An Ancient Earth Older Than The Moon Inside Earth

(Credit: NASA)