All posts tagged: Physics

A waterworld with a boiling ocean and the end of dark matter? The week in science – podcast | Science

A waterworld with a boiling ocean and the end of dark matter? The week in science – podcast | Science

Ian Sample and science correspondent Hannah Devlin discuss some of the science stories that have made headlines this week, from a new theory challenging the existence of dark matter to an alarming study about the possible impact of microplastics on our health and a glimpse of a ‘waterworld with a boiling ocean’ deep in space How to listen to podcasts: everything you need to know Source link

Lowest-ever frequency gravitational waves detected by researchers

Lowest-ever frequency gravitational waves detected by researchers

A team of physicists has developed a method to detect gravitational waves with such low frequencies that they could unlock the secrets behind the early mergers of supermassive black holes. The new method can detect gravitational waves that oscillate about once every thousand years. This is 100 times slower than any previously measured gravitational waves. “These are waves reaching us from the farthest corners of the Universe, capable of affecting how light travels,” said Jeff Dror, PhD, an assistant professor of physics at the University of Florida and co-author of the new study. “Studying these waves from the early Universe will help us build a complete picture of our cosmic history, analogous to previous discoveries of the cosmic microwave background.” The work is published in the Physical Review Letters. What are gravitational waves? Gravitational waves are like ripples in space. They vary in both frequency and amplitude, which offer insights into their origin and age. Gravitational waves can oscillate at extremely low frequencies, much lower than those of sound waves detectable by the human ear. …

Consciousness Observes Different Laws From Physics

Consciousness Observes Different Laws From Physics

Last week at Closer to Truth, host Robert Lawrence Kuhn interviewed British philosopher and pastor Keith Ward on “What’s the Stuff of Mind and Brain?” Ward is an idealist philosopher who “believes that the material universe is an expression or creation of a Supreme Mind, namely that of God’s.” In this excerpt, he explains how we can know that the mind is not simply what the brain does. One way is that the mind or consciousness functions according to different rules: Kuhn: [5:53] Keith, what is it that we need to combine with the brain to make this non material consciousness? Ward: [6:04] Well, you need — what Buddhists would say is — thoughts and feelings and sensations and perceptions. And this is a stream of, believe it or not, consciousness. And that is something which is at least partly produced by the brain. It’s causally correlated with events in the brain, that is to say, but it also has its own psychical or spiritual or mental forms of causation. So let me give you …

Controversial new theory of gravity rules out need for dark matter | Physics

Controversial new theory of gravity rules out need for dark matter | Physics

Dark matter is supposed to account for 85% of the mass in the universe, according to conventional scientific wisdom. But proponents of a radical new theory of gravity, in which space-time is “wobbly”, say their approach could render the elusive substance obsolete. The proposition, outlined in a new paper, raises the controversial possibility that dark matter, which has never been directly observed, is a mirage that a substantial portion of the physics community has been chasing for several decades. The theory is viewed as quite left-field and is yet to be thoroughly tested, but the latest claims are creating a stir in the world of physics. Announcing the paper on X, Prof Jonathan Oppenheim, of University College London, said: “Folks, something seems to be happening. We show that our theory of gravity … can explain the expansion of the universe and galactic rotation without dark matter or dark energy.” There are multiple lines of evidence for dark matter, but its nature has remained mysterious and searches by the Large Hadron Collider have come up empty-handed. …

How one theory ties together everything we know about the universe

How one theory ties together everything we know about the universe

You can sip your coffee thanks to the fundamental forces of nature Vladimir Arndt / Alamy The following is an extract from our Lost in Space-Time newsletter. Each month, we hand over the keyboard to a physicist or mathematician to tell you about fascinating ideas from their corner of the universe. You can sign up for Lost in Space-Time for free here. Though our world is bewildering in its diversity, all known natural phenomena can be classified into just a few categories. Four of these – gravitational, electromagnetic, strong nuclear and weak nuclear – are… Source link

Redefining what it means to be a woman in science

Redefining what it means to be a woman in science

Dr Victoria Garcia Sakai, Instrument Scientist at ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, discusses her personal journey through STEM education and research, and her commitment to empowering women in STEM fields. Reflecting on my STEM journey so far, I realise it has been incredibly rewarding – I have had amazing opportunities, met fascinating people, and travelled the world. However, it has not been without its challenges. It began when I was 17 and moving from Madrid to London to pursue a degree in Chemical Engineering at Imperial College, a decision inspired by my dad’s engineering job in the food industry, my love of maths, and the excitement of living in a different country. My first challenge was coping with feeling like a failure when I struggled to secure a job in industry after graduation despite achieving a high final grade, and watching my peers move on to well-paid jobs in the oil and gas or pharmaceutical sectors. I had many doubts – was I too young? Was it the language barrier or cultural differences? It was around …

Ask Ethan: How do symmetries work in physics?

Ask Ethan: How do symmetries work in physics?

In our everyday lives, as well as at the level of fundamental physics, symmetries play an important role. Human bodies have an approximate bilateral symmetry, or symmetry down the middle, and we judge more symmetric faces to be more visually appealing. Some animals, like starfish, have multiple lines of symmetry, as well as a rotational symmetry, where you can spin it by a certain angle (or set of angles) and it appears identical to the original. But in physics, there are extra kinds of symmetries that we don’t encounter conventionally: not just reflections, rotations, and translations, but discrete and continuous symmetries that are wholly divorced from our intuition and experience. Can we break them down in ways that are understandable, even to a non-physicist? That’s the question of Shiloh Paul, who asks: “I’m curious about the concept of ‘symmetries’ in physics. I still picture symmetry the grade school way – can you fold a piece of paper on top of itself? But when I try to understand symmetries in physics, which are apparently super fundamental, I …

The importance of inclusion in STEM

The importance of inclusion in STEM

Rachel Youngman, Deputy CEO at the Institute of Physics, outlines the importance of inclusion in STEM and the benefits of fostering an inclusive environment for innovation and economic growth. But as the author herself says, despite being set in the 1950s and 60s, not much seems to have changed. Typical STEM characters are still portrayed as men in white lab coats, often labelled as boffins. So where are the women? The importance of inclusion in STEM In my most recent role at the Institute of Physics, one of my roles was to explore new ways to open up physics to encourage more girls and other minority groups to study science. I have seen first-hand how the STEM world can put off a new generation of potential scientists, but also how widening the pool of those studying STEM can reap benefits for business. We must not limit STEM opportunities and put barriers that prevent girls from seeing how they can become part of changing their world. The problems with a lack of diversity And the problems …

Uncovering the boundary between classical and quantum physics

Uncovering the boundary between classical and quantum physics

Where the boundary between classical and quantum physics lies is one of science’s greatest mysteries, and in new research, scientists have unveiled a new platform that could find the answer. A team of researchers, co-led by Dr Jayadev Vijayan, Head of the Quantum Engineering Lab at The University of Manchester, with scientists from ETH Zurich and theorists from the University of Innsbruck, have established a new approach that can shed light on the transition from classical to quantum physics. The platform will also help physicists observe quantum phenomena at larger scales. The work is published in the journal Nature Physics. What can quantum physics tell us? The laws of quantum physics govern the behaviour of particles at minuscule scales. This leads to phenomena such as quantum entanglement, where the properties of entangled particles become linked in ways that cannot be explained by classical physics. Research in quantum physics can help us to fill gaps in our knowledge of physics and give us a more complete picture of reality. However, the tiny scales at which quantum …

AI Video characters can now follow the laws of physics and more

AI Video characters can now follow the laws of physics and more

The world of video production is undergoing a significant transformation, thanks to the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) in video generation. This shift is not just a fleeting glimpse into what the future might hold; it’s a dynamic change that’s happening right now, reshaping the way we create and experience movies and videos. With AI, filmmakers are gaining an unprecedented level of flexibility and creative control, which is altering the landscape of the industry. Imagine a tool that can produce videos so realistic they seem to obey the laws of physics. Such a tool now exists in the form of OpenAI’s Sora, an advanced AI video generation technology. Its outputs are incredibly lifelike, a clear indicator of the strides AI technology has made. Another company, P Labs, is making its mark with a feature that allows AI-generated characters to speak with perfectly timed mouth movements, enhancing the realism of digital actors. The ability to convey emotions through video is crucial, and Alibaba Group’s Emote Portrait Alive research has taken this to a new level. This …