The Verge Review of Animals: the immortal jellyfish
In medieval bestiaries, every animal is imbued with symbolic meaning that reflects God’s plan for the world, but the monks that made these compendiums didn’t know much about jellyfish — especially one as unusual as Turritopsis dohrnii, better known as the immortal jellyfish. The bestiaries tell us that the fox is cunning and deceitful: it plays dead to remind us that the Devi...
Science
The Verge Review of Animals: the immortal jellyfishIn medieval bestiaries, every animal is imbued with symbolic meaning that reflects God’s plan for the world, but the monks that made these compendiums didn’t know much about jellyfish — especially one as unusual as Turritopsis dohrnii, better known as the immortal jellyfish. The bestiaries tell us that the fox is cunning and deceitful: it plays dead to remind us that the Devi...ScienceAugust 17, 2015, 0:31:36The Verge Review of Animals: the immortal jellyfishsource: http://www.theverge.com/2015/8/16/9154177/the-verge-review-of-animals-the-immortal-jellyfish | August 17, 2015, 0:31:36
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A Scientific Look at Bad Science
In May, the journal Science retracted a much-talked-about study suggesting that gay canvassers might cause same-sex marriage opponents to change their opinion, after an independent statistical analysis revealed irregularities in its data [1]. The retraction joined a string of science scandals, ranging from Andrew Wakefield’s infamous study linking a childhood vaccine and autism t...
Science
A Scientific Look at Bad ScienceIn May, the journal Science retracted a much-talked-about study suggesting that gay canvassers might cause same-sex marriage opponents to change their opinion, after an independent statistical analysis revealed irregularities in its data [1]. The retraction joined a string of science scandals, ranging from Andrew Wakefield’s infamous study linking a childhood vaccine and autism t...ScienceAugust 10, 2015, 22:26:0A Scientific Look at Bad Sciencesource: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/a-scientific-look-at-bad-science/399371/ | August 10, 2015, 22:26:0
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UFC Fighter Ronda Rousey Has Physics-Based Superpowers
ON AUGUST 1, Ronda Rousey defeated Bethe Corriea in a UFC bantamweight match in a scathing, fleeting 34 seconds. But how awesome is Rousey, really?...
Science
UFC Fighter Ronda Rousey Has Physics-Based SuperpowersON AUGUST 1, Ronda Rousey defeated Bethe Corriea in a UFC bantamweight match in a scathing, fleeting 34 seconds. But how awesome is Rousey, really?...ScienceAugust 5, 2015, 14:30:29UFC Fighter Ronda Rousey Has Physics-Based Superpowerssource: http://www.wired.com/2015/08/ufc-fighter-ronda-rousey-physics-based-superpowers/ | August 5, 2015, 14:30:29
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Light's quantum mechanical properties demonstrated
With simple arguments, researchers show that nature is complicated! Researchers have made a simple experiment that demonstrates that nature violates common sense. The experiment illustrates that light does not behave according to the principles of classical physics, but that light has quantum mechanical properties. The new method could be used to study whether other systems behave ...
Science
Light's quantum mechanical properties demonstratedWith simple arguments, researchers show that nature is complicated! Researchers have made a simple experiment that demonstrates that nature violates common sense. The experiment illustrates that light does not behave according to the principles of classical physics, but that light has quantum mechanical properties. The new method could be used to study whether other systems behave ...ScienceAugust 2, 2015, 3:24:35Light's quantum mechanical properties demonstratedsource: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120607105817.htm | August 2, 2015, 3:24:35
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Wave-particle duality and quantum uncertainty are same thing
Here's a nice surprise: quantum physics is less complicated than we thought. An international team of researchers has demonstrated that two peculiar features of the quantum world previously considered distinct are different manifestations of the same thing....
Science
Wave-particle duality and quantum uncertainty are same thingHere's a nice surprise: quantum physics is less complicated than we thought. An international team of researchers has demonstrated that two peculiar features of the quantum world previously considered distinct are different manifestations of the same thing....ScienceAugust 2, 2015, 3:24:4Wave-particle duality and quantum uncertainty are same thingsource: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141219085153.htm | August 2, 2015, 3:24:4
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olid state physics: Quantum matter stuck in unrest
Using ultracold atoms trapped in light crystals, scientists from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich, the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, and the Weizmann Institute observe a novel state of matter that never thermalizes....
Science
olid state physics: Quantum matter stuck in unrestUsing ultracold atoms trapped in light crystals, scientists from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich, the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, and the Weizmann Institute observe a novel state of matter that never thermalizes....ScienceAugust 2, 2015, 3:18:57olid state physics: Quantum matter stuck in unrestsource: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150731070449.htm | August 2, 2015, 3:18:57
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Why Aren't There More Women Futurists?
In the future, everyone’s going to have a robot assistant. That’s the story, at least. And as part of that long-running narrative, Facebook just launched its virtual assistant. They’re calling it Moneypenny—the secretary from the James Bond Films. Which means the symbol of our march forward, once again, ends up being a nod back. In this case, Moneypenny is a send-up to an a...
Science
Why Aren't There More Women Futurists?In the future, everyone’s going to have a robot assistant. That’s the story, at least. And as part of that long-running narrative, Facebook just launched its virtual assistant. They’re calling it Moneypenny—the secretary from the James Bond Films. Which means the symbol of our march forward, once again, ends up being a nod back. In this case, Moneypenny is a send-up to an a...ScienceAugust 2, 2015, 3:16:46Why Aren't There More Women Futurists?source: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/07/futurism-sexism-men/400097/ | August 2, 2015, 3:16:46
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The quantum physics of artificial light harvesting
Plants and bacteria make use of sunlight with remarkably high efficiency: nine out of ten absorbed light particles are being put to use in an ordinary bacterium. For years, it has been a pressing question of modern research whether or not effects from quantum physics are responsible for this outstanding performance of natural light harvesters. Scientists have now examined these qua...
Science
The quantum physics of artificial light harvestingPlants and bacteria make use of sunlight with remarkably high efficiency: nine out of ten absorbed light particles are being put to use in an ordinary bacterium. For years, it has been a pressing question of modern research whether or not effects from quantum physics are responsible for this outstanding performance of natural light harvesters. Scientists have now examined these qua...ScienceJuly 14, 2015, 0:34:55The quantum physics of artificial light harvestingsource: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150713113341.htm | July 14, 2015, 0:34:55
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NASA DOESN’T CARE IF EVERYONE ELSE CALLS PLUTO A DWARF…
Hello from the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University, mission control for the New Horizons mission, where Jim Green, NASA’s planetary science director just laid out the space agency’s take on Pluto’s status. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union reclassified the icy rock as a dwarf planet—a demotion in many astronomers’ eyes. But as Green says:...
Science
NASA DOESN’T CARE IF EVERYONE ELSE CALLS PLUTO A DWARF…Hello from the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University, mission control for the New Horizons mission, where Jim Green, NASA’s planetary science director just laid out the space agency’s take on Pluto’s status. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union reclassified the icy rock as a dwarf planet—a demotion in many astronomers’ eyes. But as Green says:...ScienceJuly 12, 2015, 20:32:43NASA DOESN’T CARE IF EVERYONE ELSE CALLS PLUTO A DWARF…source: http://www.wired.com/2015/07/nasa-doesnt-care-everyone-else-calls-pluto-dwarf/ | July 12, 2015, 20:32:43
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Paradoxical Crystal Baffles Physicists
IN A DECEPTIVELY drab black crystal, physicists have stumbled upon a baffling behavior, one that appears to blur the line between the properties of metals, in which electrons flow freely, and those of insulators, in which electrons are effectively stuck in place. The crystal exhibits hallmarks of both simultaneously....
Science
Paradoxical Crystal Baffles PhysicistsIN A DECEPTIVELY drab black crystal, physicists have stumbled upon a baffling behavior, one that appears to blur the line between the properties of metals, in which electrons flow freely, and those of insulators, in which electrons are effectively stuck in place. The crystal exhibits hallmarks of both simultaneously....ScienceJuly 12, 2015, 20:29:49Paradoxical Crystal Baffles Physicistssource: http://www.wired.com/2015/07/paradoxical-crystal-baffles-physicists/ | July 12, 2015, 20:29:49
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Network model for tracking Twitter memes sheds light on information spreading in the brain
An international team of researchers is using data mapping methods created to track the spread of information on social networks to trace its dissemination across a surprisingly different system: the human brain....
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Network model for tracking Twitter memes sheds light on information spreading in the brainAn international team of researchers is using data mapping methods created to track the spread of information on social networks to trace its dissemination across a surprisingly different system: the human brain....ScienceJuly 12, 2015, 19:57:31Network model for tracking Twitter memes sheds light on information spreading in the brainsource: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150617134618.htm | July 12, 2015, 19:57:31
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Astronomy group proposes hi-def space telescope for spotting Earth-like planets
The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) today released their plans for the High Definition Space Telescope, a futuristic high-definition space observatory the group wants to succeed NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The proposed telescope has a primary mirror that’s nearly 40 feet across — nearly twice the size of JWST. The new proposed telesc...
Science
Astronomy group proposes hi-def space telescope for spotting Earth-like planetsThe Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) today released their plans for the High Definition Space Telescope, a futuristic high-definition space observatory the group wants to succeed NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The proposed telescope has a primary mirror that’s nearly 40 feet across — nearly twice the size of JWST. The new proposed telesc...ScienceJuly 7, 2015, 0:39:51Astronomy group proposes hi-def space telescope for spotting Earth-like planetssource: http://www.theverge.com/2015/7/6/8901179/astronomer-group-proposes-hi-def-space-telescope-for-spotting-earth | July 7, 2015, 0:39:51
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Many experiments for the price of one: Breakthrough in the study of gene regulation
Inside every cell that makes up a diminutive fruit fly is a vast, dynamic network of information -- the genome whose 15,000 genes allow that cell to function. In a new study, computer scientists and molecular biologists demonstrated the utility of a novel approach to deciphering how networks of genes are regulated....
Science
Many experiments for the price of one: Breakthrough in the study of gene regulationInside every cell that makes up a diminutive fruit fly is a vast, dynamic network of information -- the genome whose 15,000 genes allow that cell to function. In a new study, computer scientists and molecular biologists demonstrated the utility of a novel approach to deciphering how networks of genes are regulated....ScienceJuly 5, 2015, 15:5:1Many experiments for the price of one: Breakthrough in the study of gene regulationsource: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150609213344.htm | July 5, 2015, 15:5:1
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Calculating Pluto’s Mass With Snapshots From New Horizons
When a planet (or dwarf planet) has a satellite, you can use the motion of that object to find the mass of the planet. It’s not too difficult. In fact, let’s use the animation above to estimate the mass of Pluto. Ok, there is just one thing we need that’s not in the video. We need to know the distance from Charon to Pluto. Actually, if I knew the angular field of view of the ...
Science
Calculating Pluto’s Mass With Snapshots From New HorizonsWhen a planet (or dwarf planet) has a satellite, you can use the motion of that object to find the mass of the planet. It’s not too difficult. In fact, let’s use the animation above to estimate the mass of Pluto. Ok, there is just one thing we need that’s not in the video. We need to know the distance from Charon to Pluto. Actually, if I knew the angular field of view of the ...ScienceJuly 5, 2015, 15:3:9Calculating Pluto’s Mass With Snapshots From New Horizonssource: http://www.wired.com/2015/07/calculating-plutos-mass-snapshots-new-horizons/ | July 5, 2015, 15:3:9
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Why the Big Bang’s Light May Have a Tilt
HALF A CENTURY ago, astronomers got their first look at the infant universe: a haze of soft light that suffused the entire sky. This cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation seemed to indicate that the early cosmos was remarkably uniform—a hot, dense fireball that expanded and cooled over the next 14 billion years. It was the world’s first beacon from the Big Bang....
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Why the Big Bang’s Light May Have a TiltHALF A CENTURY ago, astronomers got their first look at the infant universe: a haze of soft light that suffused the entire sky. This cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation seemed to indicate that the early cosmos was remarkably uniform—a hot, dense fireball that expanded and cooled over the next 14 billion years. It was the world’s first beacon from the Big Bang....ScienceJuly 5, 2015, 14:59:24Why the Big Bang’s Light May Have a Tiltsource: http://www.wired.com/2015/07/big-bangs-light-may-tilt/ | July 5, 2015, 14:59:24
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SpaceX postpones next Falcon 9 launch following explosion
The next Falcon 9 rocket launch on SpaceX's schedule has been postponed, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The launch was supposed to deliver NOAA's Jason-3 Earth observation satellite to orbit, and was scheduled for August 9th....
Science
SpaceX postpones next Falcon 9 launch following explosionThe next Falcon 9 rocket launch on SpaceX's schedule has been postponed, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The launch was supposed to deliver NOAA's Jason-3 Earth observation satellite to orbit, and was scheduled for August 9th....ScienceJune 29, 2015, 20:43:3SpaceX postpones next Falcon 9 launch following explosionsource: http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/29/8864751/spacex-falcon-9-launch-postponed-explosion | June 29, 2015, 20:43:3
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