[Topic placeholder] [Developing story] Today’s news cycle contains articles about research by some physicists at the University of Glasgow who claim to have imaged entangled photons. Looks like they used a precision laser-based, table-top optical bench system. This Cnet article is a basic summary of the research: “Einstein called it ‘spooky action.’ Here’s an image… Continue reading Image of entangled photons?
Before encountering this Quanta Magazine article today, I’d not heard of this aspect of quantum measurement theory: “The Quantum Theory That Peels Away the Mystery of Measurement” (July 3, 2019) by Philip Ball, Contributing Writer (author of Beyond Weird: Why everything you thought you knew about quantum physics is different). Well, a quick Google search… Continue reading Quantum trajectory theory?
[“Models of the quantum vacuum” series] I read this article today “‘The Unknown Question’ — The End of Spacetime” (June 22, 2019) and watched the included YouTube videos. Something bothered me which I’ve been thinking about for years, namely, that even theoretical physicist Nima Arkani-Hamed sounded like he viewed the electron as like a spherical… Continue reading Swaying quantum vacuum energy vs compelling charge
[Draft] [“Building a ‘verse” series] Reference: “How Many Fundamental Constants Does It Take To Explain the Universe?” by Ethan Siegel (Nov 23, 2018). Quite a large number of fundamental constants are required to describe reality as we know it … The fundamental constants … describe the strengths of all the interactions and the physical properties… Continue reading Defining a universe — how many constants?
[Draft] [“Building a ‘verse” series] I’ve cited this physicist’s video elsewhere, but Perimeter Institute’s overview of her lecture includes a helpful characterization of perturbation theory in the context of understanding the proton better: “Phiala Shanahan builds the universe – with a new approach to calculations and the aid of supercomputers, Emmy Noether Visiting Fellow Phiala… Continue reading The proton and perturbation problem
[“Building a ‘verse” series] Ever since I started reading about Quantum Field Theory (QFT), I was interested in how physicists talk about fields. And the multiplicity of fields. And how quantum fields compare to classical fields. So, as I’ve written elsewhere, the basic notion is that every matter particle is an excitation (or localized vibration)… Continue reading QFT – How many fields are there?
Wiki: World Science Festival Space.com: “Science As a Full Body Experience: Brian Greene On 2019 World Science Festival — The festival runs from May 22 to June 2 in New York City” by Doris Elin Salazar (May 22, 2019). Greene: Yeah, it is a really quite broad audience. The goal is to make the programs… Continue reading World Science Festival 2019
[“Nanotech” series] I’ve been following articles for awhile about micron, nanometer, and atomic level confinement and manipulation. The development of “optical tweezers” facilitated exploration of biological particles with sizes in the micrometer and nanometer range such as viruses and bacteria and subcellular components. Optical traps also facilitated exploring properties of trapped individual molecules and atoms.… Continue reading Atomic tweezers — levitated optomechanics
Regarding recent posts about black holes, here’s another YouTube video by The Science Asylum on the topic (published February 16, 2019): “Black Holes can SPIN?!?” I’ve previously highlighted The Science Asylum as a science communicator. This latest video is an interesting overview of black holes: non-spinning vs. spinning, the math vs. reality inside and outside… Continue reading Ergosphere – what?
In the last few months, I’ve been struck by how many articles have been published in the popular media and science news about black holes and the Big Bang. Mainstream physics and science communications (like phys.org, quantamagazine.org, etc) lately seem to be discussing more and more “mind blowing” geometries of the universe (or multiverse, eh).… Continue reading Cosmological fact and fiction
