Physicists Recreate 'End Of Time' in Lab One of the most exciting areas of science is the emerging field of spacetime analogues. This is the discipline in which physicists play around with systems that have a formal mathematical link with general relativity. For example, changes in the way electrons move in graphene as it is cooled are identical to the changes that may have occurred in the universe soon after the big bang. So physicists can use cool graph to test theories about the universe’s earliest behaviour. Another example is the formal mathematical analogy between the behaviour of light in electromagnetic space and in spacetime. That’s interesting because physicists have recently learnt how to manipulate electromagnetic space using metamaterials. All of these experiments are jaw droppers (imagine making black hole in the lab). But Igor Smolyaninov at the University of Maryland likes to have a go. The idea is straightforward (no really!). So what happens at the end of time? But interesting stuff nevertheless.
Science Codex | Science news, science articles, all day, every day 8 Things Everybody Ought to Know About Concentrating “Music helps me concentrate,” Mike said to me glancing briefly over his shoulder. Mike was in his room writing a paper for his U.S. History class. On his desk next to his computer sat crunched Red Bulls, empty Gatorade bottles, some extra pocket change and scattered pieces of paper. In the pocket of his sweat pants rested a blaring iPod with a chord that dangled near the floor, almost touching against his Adidas sandals. Mike made a shift about every thirty seconds between all of the above. Do you know a person like this? The Science Behind Concentration In the above account, Mike’s obviously stuck in a routine that many of us may have found ourselves in, yet in the moment we feel it’s almost an impossible routine to get out of. When we constantly multitask to get things done, we’re not multitasking, we’re rapidly shifting our attention. Phase 1: Blood Rush Alert When Mike decides to start writing his History essay, blood rushes to his anterior prefrontal cortex. Phase 2: Find and Execute
Mapping the most complex object in the known universe Caitlin Stier, contributor (Image: MPI for Medical Research) It's paint-by-numbers for neuroscientists. At the Max-Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, Germany, researchers have devised a faster way of computing the neural connections that make up the brain. Mapping out this intricate web previously depended on the human eye as no computer was powerful enough to handle the brain's complex network of 70 billion neurons and thousands of kilometres of circuits. For this gargantuan task, even the smallest sliver of neural tissue was painstaking, demanding an experienced team to make modest progress. Now with the help of two computer programs, Moritz Helmstaedter, Kevin Briggman and Winfried Denk have developed a faster and more accurate way of completing this neural cartography. The first program, KNOSSOS - named after an ancient palace labyrinth in Crete - lets untrained users visualise and annotate 3D image data while the second, RESCOP summarises their work.
Mediterranean and Near Eastern Fieldwork at Penn | Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World The Mt. Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project is an international, multidisciplinary, scientific investigation at the sanctuary of Zeus on Mt. Lykaion, Arcadia. The Mt. The project is utilizing the latest scientific techniques, including remote sensing (magnetometry, resisitivity, ground penetrating radar), digital cartography, and GIS, including low and high level historic photographic analysis, satellite imagery, and topographical map analysis. Some of the main goals of the project are the following: to learn about the origin of the cult of Zeus at Mt. Everything I need to know about startups, I learned from a crime boss The door opened and into the room walked the most dangerous person I’ve ever met. He reached towards his belt and slowly pulled out his .45 caliber handgun, raised it and paused to evaluate my expression. “No disrespect, but it’s been pressing into my hip all day.” He placed the gun on the coffee table, relaxed into the leather sofa and let his guard down for the first time in a very long while. This person, let’s call him Kobayashi (I’m a Usual Suspects fan), is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. He was a well-educated entrepreneur who ran a profitable business that employed dozens of people. But Kobayashi ran an unusual business. Everything I need to know about startups, I learned from Kobayashi. Don’t sell rocks when you can sell mountains Kobayashi didn’t work with small packages. As founders and early stage employees, we go to great lengths to mitigate risk. Building a profitable small-market company is difficult and carries a high risk of failure. Kobayashi wouldn’t.
The Case for Parallel Universes Editor's note: In the August issue of Scientific American, cosmologist George Ellis describes why he's skeptical about the concept of parallel universes. Here, multiverse proponents Alexander Vilenkin and Max Tegmark offer counterpoints, explaining why the multiverse would account for so many features of our universe—and how it might be tested. Welcome to the Multiverse By Alexander Vilenkin The universe as we know it originated in a great explosion that we call the big bang. Inflation is a period of super-fast, accelerated expansion in early cosmic history. The end of inflation is triggered by quantum, probabilistic processes and does not occur everywhere at once. The theory of inflation explained some otherwise mysterious features of the big bang, which simply had to be postulated before. Another key aspect of the new worldview derives from string theory, which is at present our best candidate for the fundamental theory of nature. There is also another approach that one can follow.
Science - News for Your Neurons Audacity: Freier Audioeditor und Rekorder Norway attacks 27 August 2012Last updated at 09:17 GMT Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in two attacks in Norway last year, is found to be sane and is sentenced to 21 years in jail by a court. How the twin terror attacks unfolded in Norway A table showing the victims Profile of the 32-year-old suspect Island's iconic status made it a target A second report concludes the killer was sane Right-wing politicians reopen sensitive issue Muslim immigrants feel increasingly uneasy Should the views of a killer be publicised? NOVA Can Wind Turbines Make You Sick? Residents living in the shadows of wind turbines say the sound is making them sick. But so far the science isn't there. From NOVA Next | Jun 27, 2018 Thirty Years Ago Today, Global Warming First Made Headline News On June 23, a NASA climate scientist, James Hansen, told a U.S. From NOVA Next | Jun 23, 2018 New Middle Eastern Particle Accelerator’s Motto is “Science for Peace” In a region in turmoil, an unprecedented joint venture of scientists and policymakers is working together on Jordan’s new particle accelerator under the motto "science for peace." From NOVA Next | Jun 21, 2018 Psychological Damage Inflicted By Parent-Child Separation is Deep, Long-Lasting Here's what happens in the brain and the body when a child is forcibly separated from his or her parents.
Selling You on Facebook Polar bear attack survivors to return to UK | World news Survivors of the polar bear attack have been treated at the Tromso hospital. Photograph: Rex Features Two members of an expedition injured in a polar bear attack in which a 17-year-old was killed will return to the UK on Sunday, the organisers of the trip have said. Scott Bennell-Smith and Patrick Flinders will be flown back to Britain under the care of a specialist medical evacuation team, BSES Expeditions confirmed. Horatio Chapple, from Salisbury, in Wiltshire, died in the attack in Svalbard, Norway, on Friday. The five were part of a group camping on the Von Postbreen glacier, near Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Horatio's family described him as "strong, fearless and kind", and had been "so excited about his plans to be a doctor". In a statement they praised his "amazing sense of humour and ability to laugh at himself", adding: "He was on the cusp of adulthood and had a clear vision of where his life was going." "The other members of the group said he was very, very brave."
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