Physics in the News

Monday, August 4, 2014

Elon Musk calls Artificial Intelligence ‘potentially more dangerous than nukes’

Above: Tesla CEO Elon Musk. (Credit: SXSW Livestream) — Tesla CEO Elon Musk. (Credit: SXSW Livestream)

via businessinsider

NASA wants to build gas stations in space

NASA hopes to add precious years of functional life to satellites and expand options for operators who face unexpected emergencies, tougher economic demand and aging fleets. (Credit: Bob Granath, Kt-Imaging)

via technobuffalo

Milky Way galaxy is just half as massive as Andromeda

Andromeda is twice as massive as the Milky Way. Scientists say that Andromeda has twice the mass, made of dark matter, than the Milky Way. (Credit: Phil Plait) — Andromeda is twice as massive as the Milky Way. Scientists say that Andromeda has twice the mass, made of dark matter, than the Milky Way.
(Credit: Phil Plait)

New rule restricting foreign instruments on NASA space probes stirs debate

(Credit: NASA)

General Relativity – Embedding light at the heart of cosmology

Einstein was the first person to propose that ‘empty space’, which does not contain matter or radiation, is not actually empty and in fact has a residual energy. This empty space is also capable of creating more space from itself. (Credit: benmoat/Shutterstock)

Tiny flying robots are being built to pollinate crops instead of real bees

The RoboBee demonstrates a successful flight next to a quarter for scale. (Credit: Harvard University)

via iphoneeinstein

Europe’s Rosetta probe reaches climax of its comet-chasing mission

The Rosetta spacecraft is scheduled to rendezvous with Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on Wednesday. If all goes according to plan, Rosetta will become the first probe ever to orbit a comet — and, in November, the first to drop a lander onto the surface of one of these icy wanderers. (Credit: ESA)

Absence of Russia instrument onboard NASA Mars Rover not related to politics

Photo of the Mars surface, Made with HiRise Camera. (Credit: NASA JPL/University of Arizona)

via ria

The holographic augmented reality future has arrived (Again)

via physicsworld

Physics in the News

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Best evidence yet for coronal heating theory

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of what the sun looked like on April 23, 2013, at 1:30 p.m. EDT when the EUNIS mission launched. EUNIS focused on an active region of the sun, seen as bright loops in the upper right in this picture. (Credit: NASA/SDO) — NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of what the sun looked like on April 23, 2013, at 1:30 p.m. EDT when the EUNIS mission launched. EUNIS focused on an active region of the sun, seen as bright loops in the upper right in this picture. (Credit: NASA/SDO)

Robot Olympics planned for 2020 powered by Japan’s ‘Robot Revolution’

via singularityhub

Moon closer to Mars, moving toward Saturn

Animation of Comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring / Mars encounter. (Credit: Near-Earth Object (NEO) office and NASA JPL)

Scientists separate a particle from its properties

he study, carried out at the Institute Laue-Langevin (ILL) and published in Nature Communications, showed that in an interferometer a neutron's magnetic moment could be measured independently of the neutron itself, thereby marking the first experimental observation of a new quantum paradox known as the 'Cheshire Cat'. Pictured are Yuji Hasegawa, Tobias Denkmayr, Stephan Sponar, Hartmut Lemmel, and Hermann Geppert. (Credit: Vienna University of Technology.) — The study, carried out at the Institute Laue-Langevin (ILL) and published in Nature Communications, showed that in an interferometer a neutron’s magnetic moment could be measured independently of the neutron itself, thereby marking the first experimental observation of a new quantum paradox known as the ‘Cheshire Cat’. Pictured are Yuji Hasegawa, Tobias Denkmayr, Stephan Sponar, Hartmut Lemmel, and Hermann Geppert. (Credit: Vienna University of Technology.)

Companion planet could keep alien Earths warm in old age

An artist’s concept of a rocky world orbiting a red dwarf star. (Credit: NASA/D. Aguilar/Harvard-Smithsonian center for Astrophysics)

via universetoday

Exclusive: NASA’s Hubble finds ‘magnifying lens’ galaxy

In this image from the Hubble Space Telescope, a giant elliptical galaxy 9.6 billion light-years away appears as a red patch. The bluish dot and tadpole-shaped smear are the distorted and magnified shapes of a more distant spiral galaxy 10.7 billion light-years away. (Credit: NASA, ESA, K.-V. Tran (Texas A&M University), and K. Wong) — In this image from the Hubble Space Telescope, a giant elliptical galaxy 9.6 billion light-years away appears as a red patch. The bluish dot and tadpole-shaped smear are the distorted and magnified shapes of a more distant spiral galaxy 10.7 billion light-years away.
(Credit: NASA, ESA, K.-V. Tran (Texas A&M University), and K. Wong)

Scientists in Scotland have created a working tractor beam

(Credit: iStock/360/Getty) — The Dundee tractor beam is not entirely dissimilar from those in “Star Wars” and “Star Trek,” in that it draws an object toward it without making physical contact. The device works by taking advantage of an acoustic wave’s natural push effect, called radiation pressure. (Photons also exert radiation pressure, which is part of the reason comet tails always point away from the sun.) What the Dundee team was able to demonstrate was an example of negative radiation pressure, otherwise known as pull. (Credit: iStock/360/Getty)

via thenewyorker

Giant asteroids reshaped Earth 4 billion years ago

The team says that during this 500 million year period the planet likely experienced three to seven impacts by objects more than 300 miles wide. There were also as many as four impacts by titanic space rocks more than 600 miles across. If there had been any life on the Earth, a 600 mile wide monster asteroid probably would have wiped it out. Surprisingly, these impacts are compatible with the existence of liquid water on the surface as early as 4.3 billion years ago. — The team says that during this 500 million year period the planet likely experienced three to seven impacts by objects more than 300 miles wide. There were also as many as four impacts by titanic space rocks more than 600 miles across. If there had been any life on the Earth, a 600 mile wide monster asteroid probably would have wiped it out. Surprisingly, these impacts are compatible with the existence of liquid water on the surface as early as 4.3 billion years ago. (D. A. Aguilar, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)

via geek

Will DARPA’s new space shuttle crush the SpaceX Grasshopper?

DARPA's hypothetical "space plane." (Credit: DARPA) — DARPA’s hypothetical “space plane.” (Credit: DARPA)

via fool

European spacecraft to attempt historic comet rendezvous this week

The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft saw the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimernko from a distance of 1,210 miles (1,950 kilometers). Image taken July 29, 2014. (Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA) — The European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft saw the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimernko from a distance of 1,210 miles (1,950 kilometers). Image taken July 29, 2014.
(Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA)

Physics in the News

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Despite extensive analysis, Fermi bubbles defy explanation

This artist's representation shows the Fermi bubbles towering above and below the galaxy. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. (Credit: NASA) — This artist’s representation shows the Fermi bubbles towering above and below the galaxy. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. (Credit: NASA)

NASA ‘to make oxygen on Mars early next decade’

Space agency officials unveiled seven instruments they plan to put on a Martian rover that would launch in 2020, including two devices aimed at bigger Mars missions in the future. (Credit: NASA)

On-chip topological light: First measurements of transmission and delay

Light enters a two-dimensional ring-resonator array from the lower left and exits at the lower right. Light that follows the edge of the array (blue) does not suffer energy loss and exits after a consistent amount of delay. Light travels into the interior of the array (green) suffers energy loss. (Credit: Sean Kelley/JQI)

via esciencenews

Particle fever makes me feel like a physicist

Final flight of European space vehicle to Space Station goes out with a ‘Big Bang’

ESA's Haptics-1 body-mounted astronaut joystick will be used to investigate telerobotics for space aboard the International Space Station. (Credit: European Space Agency) — ESA’s Haptics-1 body-mounted astronaut joystick will be used to investigate telerobotics for space aboard the International Space Station. (Credit: European Space Agency)

World Wide Web day today: Celebrate the web browser invention and surf

CERN’s website was the first to be hosted on the World Wide Web, at info.cern.ch. It was a simple page that contained a lot of links, which was essentially what the WWW was for at that time. It was dedicated to the Internet itself, describing the basic features of the web, accessing documents and setting up servers. (Credit: Beth A. Balen)

One Small Step for Your Dead Pet

Celestis has expanded their services to include animals, called Celestis Pets. And now you can even send your family pet in Armstrong’s and Aldrin’s footsteps by launching them to the moon. (Credit: Celestis Pets)

Physics in the News

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

First glimpse of Higgs Bosons at work revealed

his 2011 image provide by CERN, shows a real CMS proton-proton collision in which 4 high energy electrons (green lines and red towers) are observed in a 2011 event. The event shows characteristics expected from the decay of a Higgs boson but is also consistent with background Standard Model physics processes. To cheers and standing ovations, scientists at the world's biggest atom smasher claimed the discovery of a new subatomic particle Wednesday July 4, 2012, calling it "consistent" with the long-sought Higgs boson popularly known as the "God particle" that helps explain what gives all matter in the universe size and shape. (Credit: AP Photo/CERN) — CMS proton-proton collision in which 4 high energy electrons (green lines and red towers) are observed in a 2011 event. The event shows characteristics expected from the decay of a Higgs boson but is also consistent with background Standard Model physics processes. (Credit: AP Photo/CERN)

Drone fly-by at Seattle’s Space Needle (VIDEO)

Opportunity Rover’s record-breaking Mars drive, mapped

NASA reports that the Mars Rover has clocked up 25.01 miles of driving on the Red Planet—setting a record for the longest distance a vehicle has driven outside Earth. (Credit: NASA)

New correction to speed of light could explain SN1987 neutrino burst

A time sequence of Hubble Space Telescope images, taken in the 15 years from 1994 to 2009, showing the collision of the expanding supernova remnant with a ring of dense material ejected by the progenitor star 20,000 years before the supernova — A time sequence of SN 1987A, taken in the 15 years from 1994 to 2009, showing the collision of the expanding supernova remnant with a ring of dense material ejected by the progenitor star 20,000 years before the supernova.

via physicsworld

A robot that grows

Scientists in Italy are working on creating robots that mimic the properties of plant roots, including the capacity for growth. (Credit: Euronews)

The Moon could be littered with fossils from Earth

Diatoms. Images a and b are raw diatoms; c and d are fossilized, and e and f are fossilized diatoms that were frozen but not shot. (Credit: Mark Burchell et al., Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society) — Images a and b are raw diatoms; c and d are fossilized, and e and f are fossilized diatoms that were frozen but not shot.
(Credit: Mark Burchell et al., Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society)

Best time to see 2014 meteor showers? Right about … now!

Look up, sky watchers! NASA cameras caught this streak over the New Mexico skies on Sunday, as the Perseid meteor shower heats up. (Credit: NASA)

Teleportation is closer than you think

Recent advances in theoretical physics are making Star Trek style transporters a reality. (Credit: Paramount/Everett Collection)

via mysteriousuniverse

Physics in the News

Monday July 28, 2014

Measuring gravitational waves with eLISA

NASA Goddard intern Robert Buttles adjusts equipment used for the eLISA mission, which will test for vibrations that could reveal subtle changes in gravity. Image (Credit: NASA Goddard/Kristen Basham)

via spacefellowship

Computer model shows moon’s core surrounded by liquid and it’s caused by Earth’s gravity

Gravitational tidal heating from the Earth acts on the lower mantle of the moon (Credit: NASA/Apollo 8)

via abc

Measuring the smallest magnets: Physicists measured magnetic interactions between single electrons

: This is an illustration showing the magnetic field lines of two electrons, arranged so that their spins point in opposite directions. The image comes from the lab of Dr. Roee Ozeri. (Photo Credit: Weizmann Institute of Science)

via sciencecodex

NASA spacecraft is now buzzing Mercury 62 miles above the surface

Artist’s conception of NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft above Mercury. (Credit: JHUAPL)

via universetoday

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope will use SPF 1,000,000 to stay protected

The full-scale James Webb Space Telescope model at South by Southwest in Austin. (Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn)

A nation duped? UK govt. paves way for GM babies

Britain’s government has allegedly misled the public with respect to a new IVF technique experts claim will herald an era of genetically modified babies.(Reuters / United Photos)

via rt