Observations of the cosmos suggest that unseen sources of gravity — dark matter — tug at the stars in galaxies, while another mysterious force — dark energy — drives the universe to expand at an ever-increasing rate. The evidence for both of them, however, hinges on assumptions that gravity works the same way at all… Continue reading Do We Need a New Theory of Gravity?
Category: Quantum Stuff
Perplexing the Web, One Probability Puzzle at a Time
In late January, Daniel Litt posed an innocent probability puzzle on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) — and set a corner of the Twitterverse on fire. Imagine, he wrote, that you have an urn filled with 100 balls, some red and some green. You can’t see inside; all you know is… Continue reading Perplexing the Web, One Probability Puzzle at a Time
Biden Enacted Landmark Heat Protections. Millions of Public Employees Are Still in Danger
CLIMATEWIRE | President Joe Biden heralded the nation’s first-ever proposal to protect workers from heat as a lifesaving measure at a time when searing temperatures are killing more Americans than any other disaster. But the draft rule announced this month is haunted by a 50-year-old loophole that would stop it from defending about 7.9 million… Continue reading Biden Enacted Landmark Heat Protections. Millions of Public Employees Are Still in Danger
First ‘Cocaine Sharks’ Discovered off Brazil
Sharks in Brazil Test Positive for a Surprising Contaminant: Cocaine Cocaine has been detected in sharks for the first time, but scientists aren’t sure of the impact By Stephanie Pappas Researchers found cocaine in sharpnose sharks off Brazil. These sharks are in the same genus as the Atlantic sharpnose shark, shown here with a student… Continue reading First ‘Cocaine Sharks’ Discovered off Brazil
Chatbots Aren’t Sentient, but You Should Be Nice to Them Anyway
If you’ve ever caught yourself saying “please” and “thank you” to ChatGPT, you’re in good company. In an informal online survey by Ethan Mollick, an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania, nearly half of the respondents said they are often polite to the artificially intelligent chatbot, and only about 16 percent said they “just… Continue reading Chatbots Aren’t Sentient, but You Should Be Nice to Them Anyway
How the Higgs Field (Actually) Gives Mass to Elementary Particles
The discovery of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider in 2012 confirmed what we particle physicists had long suspected: that there is a field permeating the cosmos that generates the masses of elementary particles. Unfortunately, physicists have found it challenging to explain to everyone else how this so-called Higgs field accomplishes its mighty… Continue reading How the Higgs Field (Actually) Gives Mass to Elementary Particles
The Legacy of Lynchings Still Hurts the Economic Prospects of Black Americans
The Legacy of Lynchings Still Hurts the Economic Prospects of Black Americans Despite progress, the long shadow of racial violence continues to undermine economic opportunities for African Americans today By Sotiris Kampanelis A historic marker detailing lynching in Anne Arundel County and in America at Whitmore Park on Calvert Street is seen September 17, 2019… Continue reading The Legacy of Lynchings Still Hurts the Economic Prospects of Black Americans
Mathematicians Have Finally Found the Fifth ‘Busiest Beaver’
Most people probably don’t think of mathematics when they hear “busy beavers.” But these eager little animals symbolize one of the most amazing concepts of the knotty field: not everything can be calculated, no matter how hard you try (or how busy of a beaver you are). The busy beaver function is the first example… Continue reading Mathematicians Have Finally Found the Fifth ‘Busiest Beaver’
How Our Longest Nerve Orchestrates the Mind-Body Connection
It is late at night. You are alone and wandering empty streets in search of your parked car when you hear footsteps creeping up from behind. Your heart pounds, your blood pressure skyrockets. Goose bumps appear on your arms, sweat on your palms. Your stomach knots and your muscles coil, ready to sprint or fight.… Continue reading How Our Longest Nerve Orchestrates the Mind-Body Connection
Dogs Can Smell Your Stress, and It Seems to Make Them Sad
When Dogs Smell Your Stress, They Act Sad Dogs can smell when people are stressed, and it seems to make them feel downhearted By Sara Novak Hailey Seelig/Getty Images Humans and dogs have been close companions for perhaps 30,000 years, according to anthropological and DNA evidence. So it would make sense that dogs would be… Continue reading Dogs Can Smell Your Stress, and It Seems to Make Them Sad