Tag: Physics

Cosmic inflation appears to have shifted from settled science back to speculation

You can get background on what I'm talking about in this post here and here. Probably the best thing to do is let the experts weigh in on this. https://twitter.com/DavidSpergel/status/513848952513642497 https://twitter.com/seanmcarroll/status/513858867327823873 https://twitter.com/seanmcarroll/status/513869684647530496 https://twitter.com/AstroKatie/status/514040997139865600 It's interesting to note that the empirical evidence from BICEP2 has never been called into question, only the interpretation of that evidence. … Continue reading Cosmic inflation appears to have shifted from settled science back to speculation →

New theory could be an alternative to the multiverse

It seems like there have been a number articles recently talking about the soul searching currently going on in the Physics community over the failure of the LHC to find evidence for super-symmetry (at least so far), a theory that had a lot of theoretical work resting on it.  This article discuses that and a new … Continue reading New theory could be an alternative to the multiverse →

Why is there something rather than nothing? Why would there be nothing?

Amanda Gefter has an interesting article at Nautilus looking at a somewhat perennial question: How can something come from nothing? The Bridge From Nowhere - Issue 16: Nothingness - Nautilus. In science, explanations are built of cause and effect. But if nothing is truly nothing, it lacks the power to cause. It’s not simply that we … Continue reading Why is there something rather than nothing? Why would there be nothing? →

The double slit experiment and the utter strangeness of quantum mechanics

Occasionally I remark about how illogical quantum mechanics is.  Sometimes people either insist that it is logical, or simply assert some simple explanation that shows they don't really get how utterly strange this stuff is. This video of Jim Al-Khalili gives a relatively brief explanation of this experiment, including its freaky results. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9tKncAdlHQ If Al-Khalili doesn't strike … Continue reading The double slit experiment and the utter strangeness of quantum mechanics →

Does the Higgs boson actually exist?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azTMPl0Qb6o I have to admit to wondering the same thing Nick talks about here.  Do any of these subatomic particles actually exist?  At least in the way we conventionally define "exist"?  We're talking about entities that are sometimes a wave, sometimes a point particle and, as far as we can observe, behave randomly within certain … Continue reading Does the Higgs boson actually exist? →

Are you alone? (In the universe)

This a cool video on what we are and where we came from.  We are, each of us, a temporary intersection of matter and energy that is part of the overall whole of the universe, patterns of elementary particles that have, at least for a while, achieved self awareness. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKMQzkIiB0Y via Are You Alone? In The … Continue reading Are you alone? (In the universe) →

Does the mind affect quantum mechanics?

Tom Hartsfield at Real Clear Science has a nice short piece that explains why your mind isn't involved (at least not directly) in what happens in quantum mechanics: Does the Mind Affect Quantum Mechanics? | RealClearScience. Every measurement that you can name boils down to an interaction. You poke the quantum system with something (light, a … Continue reading Does the mind affect quantum mechanics? →

Sean Carroll makes the case for the Many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics

Sean Carroll has posted a passionate defense of the Many-world interpretation to quantum mechanics. I have often talked about the Many-Worlds or Everett approach to quantum mechanics — here’s an explanatory video, an excerpt from From Eternity to Here, and slides from a talk. But I don’t think I’ve ever explained as persuasively as possible why I think it’s the right approach. So that’s what … Continue reading Sean Carroll makes the case for the Many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics →

Quantum computing 101with D-Wave’s Vern Brownell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq-mRNaV-sc I found this to be an interesting primer on quantum computing.  One take away for me is that quantum processors will be useful for specific purposes, not necessarily as general purpose devices.  This implies to me that we might someday have computers with separate quantum processors with specific jobs delegated to it by the classic … Continue reading Quantum computing 101with D-Wave’s Vern Brownell →