10 Strange Things About The Universe Space The universe can be a very strange place. While groundbreaking ideas such as quantum theory, relativity and even the Earth going around the Sun might be commonly accepted now, science still continues to show that the universe contains things you might find it difficult to believe, and even more difficult to get your head around. Theoretically, the lowest temperature that can be achieved is absolute zero, exactly ? One of the properties of a negative-energy vacuum is that light actually travels faster in it than it does in a normal vacuum, something that may one day allow people to travel faster than the speed of light in a kind of negative-energy vacuum bubble. One prediction of Einstein’s theory of general relativity is that when a large object moves, it drags the space-time around it, causing nearby objects to be pulled along as well. Relativity of Simultaneity Since this extra dimension is so small, only tiny objects, such as particles, can move along it. Antimatter Retrocausality
100 Websites You Should Know and Use In the spring of 2007, Julius Wiedemann, editor in charge at Taschen GmbH, gave a legendary TED University talk: an ultra-fast-moving ride through the “100 websites you should know and use.” Six years later, it remains one of the most viewed TED blog posts ever. Time for an update? We think so. Below, the 2013 edition of the 100 websites to put on your radar and in your browser. To see the original list, click here. And now, the original list from 2007, created by Julius Wiedemann, editor in charge at Taschen GmbH.
New evidence that plants get their energy using quantum entanglement The fact that biological systems can exploit quantum effects is quite astounding. No it is not, not even remotely.There is literally no possible way that photosynthesis could take place without involving quantum physics. This particular exploit is really neat, of course, but far too much as been made of how mystical or ungraspable quantum physics is. Basic chemistry is defined by quantum physics. Every interaction of two particles or two molecules is the result of the laws of quantum physics. The distinction being made is that toast-making was just as explicable with continuous waves of energy being absorbed by the bread but that no such classical interpretation is possible for these new photosynthesis observations. Right? Yeah, it's always easy to come in after someone's done the hard research and go "Oh, pff. Or, you can sit back and let people admire how wild our Universe is and just how little we know about it. well now why havent all the people working on this already aware of this?
Assange: Facebook, Google, Yahoo are Spying Tools In Julian Assange’s exclusive interview with RT he discusses everything from the uprisings in MENA, to his extradition fight, the Guantanamo and US Cable files, his relationship with The Guardian and The New York Times, global political youth movements, the current state of mainstream media and Bradley Manning. He famously warns that social media and in particularly Facebook, Google, Yahoo are among the greatest spy machines ever invented. Once again Mr. Assange demonstrates his intelligence, authenticity and consciousness. The man behind WikiLeaks says his website’s revelations are just the tip of the iceberg. It is only a matter of time before more damaging information becomes known. "It’s not a matter of serving a subpoena, they have an interface they have developed for US Intelligence to use. Watch the full documentary now (playlist - 42 minutes)
Can we grow a stronger-than-steel 'wonder material' to save the world? It’s stiffer than Kevlar, thinner than paper, and in a few years, it may be mass-produced using only sunlight and water. Scientists in the US this week announced a new, and potentially groundbreaking method for producing nanocellulose — a so-called "wonder material" derived from tree fiber that could be used to create ultra-thin displays, lightweight body armor, and a wide range of other products. Their key ingredient? Algae. "one of the most important discoveries in plant biology" Dr. At the core of Brown's research is a family of bacteria that produce vinegar, Kombucha tea, and nata de coco. Brown's method, by contrast, is vastly more efficient and environmentally friendly, requiring only sunlight, water, and algae. Organic, self-sustaining factories These genetically-altered algae, known as cyanobacteria, are entirely self-sustaining. The team is currently working on synthesizing a more complete and stable form of the material, though their progress is already promising.
Esoteric Tube - Downloading Reality Make graphene in your kitchen with soap and a blender - physics-math - 20 April 2014 First, pour some graphite powder into a blender. Add water and dishwashing liquid, and mix at high speed. Congratulations, you just made the wonder material graphene. This surprisingly simple recipe is now the easiest way to mass-produce pure graphene – sheets of carbon just one atom thick. The material has been predicted to , based on its unusual electrical and thermal properties. "There are companies producing graphene at much higher rates, but the quality is not exceptional," says Jonathan Coleman of Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. Coleman's team was contracted by Thomas Swan, a chemicals firm based in Consett, UK, to come up with something better. Carbon smoothie The team put graphite powder and a solvent fluid in a laboratory mixer and set it spinning. "If you are using a blender, why use a fancy expensive surfactant? Still, Coleman says you may not want to try this at home. "It is a fun experiment, but it wouldn't get you very far," says Colman. Useful defects More from the web
Experience Just How Big the Universe is, in One Mind-Blowing Interactive You need a more recent version of Adobe Flash Player. Recently, NASA scientists combined data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes to discover the most distant galaxy known to date. The galaxy, named Abell2744 Y1, was formed around 13.2 billion years ago when the universe was extremely young. Image: Galaxy cluster Abell2744 obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope (Credit: NASA) But what does that really mean? Most of us have trouble visualizing the height of buildings, or the distance it takes to get home from work, let alone things on an intergalactic scale. Even cooler are the tidbits of information that are provided when you click on an object. 1. This is the smallest unit of scale in the universe. As you can see from the animation it takes a bit of zooming to reach this scale. 2. Fundamental particles such as quarks, neutrinos and the Higgs boson are theoretically point sized. 3. 4. Tres-4 is the second largest planet discovered so far. 5. 6. 7.
Common Science Myths That Most People Believe There are a number of old wives’ tales out there regarding some basic scientific principles. Though most of them were refuted years ago, these rumors just won’t go away. Here are some of the top myths floating around out there that just aren’t true: We only use 10% of our brains. It's true that there’s a great deal we don’t know about the brain, but we certainly do know that we use our entire brain. Additionally, there is no evidence that someone was ever diagnosed with a brain tumor but was told: “Great news! While you might not be using every bit of your brain at all times, but you do use the entire brain over the course of the day. There is a dark side of the moon. Oh, Pink Floyd, how you have led us all astray. From our perspective on Earth, we are able to view about 59% of the moon’s surface (though not all at the same time). This confusion is due to tidal locking, which makes it seem as if the moon isn’t rotating. The full moon affects behavior. Sugar makes children hyperactive.
Sea level study: James Hansen issues dire climate warning. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images In what may prove to be a turning point for political action on climate change, a breathtaking new study casts extreme doubt about the near-term stability of global sea levels. The study—written by James Hansen, NASA’s former lead climate scientist, and 16 co-authors, many of whom are considered among the top in their fields—concludes that glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica will melt 10 times faster than previous consensus estimates, resulting in sea level rise of at least 10 feet in as little as 50 years. The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, brings new importance to a feedback loop in the ocean near Antarctica that results in cooler freshwater from melting glaciers forcing warmer, saltier water underneath the ice sheets, speeding up the melting rate. Hansen, who is known for being alarmist and also right, acknowledges that his study implies change far beyond previous consensus estimates.
Special Issue: From mammoths to Neandertals, ancient DNA unlocks the mysteries of the past Skip to main content ScienceShot Special Issue: From mammoths to Neandertals, ancient DNA unlocks the mysteries of the past Email Elizabeth By Elizabeth Culotta 0 Comments Ancient DNA researchers have succeeded beyond all expectation in retrieving entire genomes from-long dead organisms, and their work is transforming the study of the past, as discussed in Science’s special news package and in the video above. Ancient DNA package: (Video credit: Science) Posted in Archaeology, Evolution Science| DOI: 10.1126/science.aac8901 Stink bugs protect their eggs by changing their color Surprise: Snakes don’t kill by suffocation Scientists arm cells with tiny lasers Great Recession was good for the environment The benefits of band class Video: Battle wound may reveal bones of Alexander the Great's father Arctic sea ice enjoyed a brief—but temporary—respite from melting in 2013 Video: Solving the mystery of the invisible 'sea sapphire' Previous Video Next Video Popular Follow Us
Innovative Brain Imaging Combines Sound And Light Lihong Wang uses light and sound to create highly detailed images of the living brain. Chris Nickels for NPR hide caption toggle caption Chris Nickels for NPR Lihong Wang uses light and sound to create highly detailed images of the living brain. Chris Nickels for NPR Lihong Wang creates the sort of medical technology you'd expect to find on the starship Enterprise. Wang, a professor of biomedical engineering at Washington University in St. "It's really about turning some of these ideas that we thought were science fiction into fact," says Richard Conroy, who directs the Division of Applied Science & Technology at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. Wang's ultimate goal is to use a combination of light and sound to solve the mysteries of the human brain. Wang describes himself as a toolmaker. "We want to conquer the brain," Wang says. Current brain-imaging techniques such as functional MRI or PET scans all have drawbacks. Wang's initial idea was to use light.