When not merely obscured in our field of view, things which we cannot see – that are essentially invisible – often may be either impossibly distant or impossibly small (among other factors). That’s why we have telescopes and microscopes. At cosmic scales, imaging a black hole was like seeing something spanning “the size of a period… Continue reading Imaging atoms – seeing the impossibly small
As noted in comments for my “The future of (particle) physics?” post, the first results from Fermilab’s Muon g-2 experiment are a big deal for physics. Waiting for years. Highly anticipated. As expected, today these results were officially released. Fermilab itself released an excellent YouTube video visualization which includes background on the project and experiment… Continue reading Evidence for new physics? > Fermilab’s Muon g-2 results announced
[“What’s changed in the last 50 years” series] Another interesting Symmetry Magazine article – a historical recap of the Standard Model and some highlights. • Symmetry Magazine > “Six fabulous facts about the Standard Model” by Sarah Charley ( March 16, 2021) – Learn about the Standard Model of particle physics and how physicists use… Continue reading Particle zoo to Standard Model and beyond
Frank Wilczek referenced this topic – time crystals – in his latest book (Fundamentals: Ten Keys to Reality). Time crystals are physical systems that spontaneously settle into stable loops of behavior. I proposed this concept in 2012, and many interesting examples have been discovered since then, both theoretically and experimentally. A recent example is close to… Continue reading Time crystals? – crystal patterns in space and time
So, the short answer is yes. A useful model, at a certain scale. How can that be? The cosmos is full of stuff. Vast collections of stars, planets, rocks, dust, gas. Chunked over vast distances. Not what our everyday experience considers fluid stuff. Well, in physics and engineering, fluid dynamics embraces what typically are referred… Continue reading The cosmos is like a fluid?
So, what are axions? I’ve noticed more articles lately about axions. Why all the fuss, eh? • Wiki The axion is a hypothetical elementary particle postulated by the Peccei–Quinn theory in 1977 to resolve the strong CP problem [violation of the combined symmetries of charge conjugation and parity] in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). If axions exist… Continue reading What are axions – real or not?
So, it’s that time of year again: lots of recaps, lists of top this-and-that. Even milestones, discoveries, or breakthroughs in science. Here’s a YouTube video highlighting some progress in physics: • YouTube > Quanta Magazine > “The Year’s Biggest Breakthroughs in Physics” (Dec 23, 2020) YouTube description: This year, two teams of physicists made profound… Continue reading 2020 highlights
In quantum physics, mathematically discontinuous changes – or jumps – between quantum states are popularly referred to as quantum leaps (remember the TV series). As to whether quantum leaps are instantaneous (zero time) or not – as well as random (without any harbinger) – is an open question in physics. This article below recaps additional… Continue reading Are quantum jumps instantaneous?
[“What’s changed in the last ~50 years” series] As noted elsewhere, this blog is sort of a personal journey, a way to explore topics in physics, and milestones and achievements in the field. Advances in quantum physics. Open areas of research. Unresolved questions. And, in particular, the theme of what’s changed in the last ~50… Continue reading Is supersymmetry dead?
My holiday card this year in the cosmic greetings, Santa-in-Space series. In the bubble … at various scales … Notes • Space.com > “NORAD tracks Santa Claus in cosmic trip to the International Space Station” by Tariq Malik (December 24, 2020) • YouTube > NORAD > Analytical Graphics > “NTS 2020 ISS” (Dec 21, 2020)… Continue reading Cosmic greetings – Santa-in-Space – in the bubble
