In a new national poll on America's scientific acumen, more than half of respondents said they were "not too confident" or "not at all confident" that "the universe began 13.8 billion years ago with a big bang." via Poll reveals majority of Americans distrust Big Bang theory - UPI.com.
Tag: Science
Tegmark’s Mathematical Universe Hypothesis
I recently read Max Tegmark’s latest book, ‘Our Mathematical Universe‘, about his views on multiverses and the ultimate nature of reality. This is the fourth and final post in a series on the concepts and views he covers in the book. The previous entries were: Tegmark’s Level I Multiverse: infinite space Tegmark’s Level II Multiverse: bubble universes … Continue reading Tegmark’s Mathematical Universe Hypothesis
Neil deGrasse Tyson in ‘The Inexplicable Universe’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgo1uObQ3Js If you're enjoying the Cosmos series, you might enjoy these lectures by Neil deGrasse Tyson, which I discovered yesterday is now on Netflix. The lectures are fairly far ranging covering things like string theory, dark matter, dark energy, gravitational anomalies, and many other things. If you're well read in science, a lot of this might … Continue reading Neil deGrasse Tyson in ‘The Inexplicable Universe’
The flower-shaped starshade that might help us detect Earth-like planets
Pretty cool. Jeremy Kasdin in this TED talk discusses an idea to remove the glare of a star's light in order to possibly get a look at its planets. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYNUpQrZISc
First potentially habitable Earth-sized planet confirmed by Gemini and Keck observatories — ScienceDaily
This is a pretty big milestone. The first Earth sized planet in a star's habitable zone. Pity it's so far away (500 light years) that spectral analysis probably won't be possible to figure out what its atmosphere has in it. The first Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting within the habitable zone of another star has been confirmed … Continue reading First potentially habitable Earth-sized planet confirmed by Gemini and Keck observatories — ScienceDaily
Neanderthals and Cro-magnons did not coexist on the Iberian Peninsula, suggests re-analysis of dating — ScienceDaily
The meeting between a Neanderthal and one of the first humans, which we used to picture in our minds, did not happen on the Iberian Peninsula. That is the conclusion reached by an scientists after redoing the dating of the remains in three caves located on the route through the Pyrenees of the first beings … Continue reading Neanderthals and Cro-magnons did not coexist on the Iberian Peninsula, suggests re-analysis of dating — ScienceDaily
Tegmark’s Level III Multiverse: The many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics
I recently finished reading Max Tegmark’s latest book, ‘Our Mathematical Universe‘, about his views on multiverses and the ultimate nature of reality. This is the third in a series of posts on the concepts and views he covers in the book. The previous entries are: Tegmark’s Level I Multiverse: infinite space Tegmark’s Level II Multiverse: bubble universes Tegmark … Continue reading Tegmark’s Level III Multiverse: The many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics
Climate Efforts Falling Short, U.N. Panel Says
In the sobering news department: Delivering the latest stark news about climate change on Sunday, a United Nations panel warned that governments are not doing enough to avert profound risks in coming decades. But the experts found a silver lining: Not only is there still time to head off the worst, but the political will … Continue reading Climate Efforts Falling Short, U.N. Panel Says
BBC – Future – How human culture influences our genetics
BBC has an interesting article on the effects of culture on evolution. You shouldn't be able to drink milk. Your ancestors couldn't. It is only in the last 9,000 years that human adults have gained that ability without becoming ill. Children could manage it, but it was only when we turned to dairy farming that … Continue reading BBC – Future – How human culture influences our genetics
Ants Build Complex Structures With a Few Simple Rules
Give a colony of garden ants a week and a pile of dirt, and they’ll transform it into an underground edifice about the height of a skyscraper in an ant-scaled city. Without a blueprint or a leader, thousands of insects moving specks of dirt create a complex, spongelike structure with parallel levels connected by a … Continue reading Ants Build Complex Structures With a Few Simple Rules