Vacuum decay, a process that could end the universe as we know it, may happen 10,000 times sooner than expected. Fortunately, it still won’t happen for a very, very long time. When physicists speak of “the vacuum,” the term sounds as though it refers to empty space, and in a sense it does. More specifically,… Continue reading Vacuum of Space to Decay Sooner Than Expected (but Still Not Soon)
Book Review: Nathaniel Ellison’s Essential ‘Crypto Confidential’
Shein is a Singapore-based clothier that makes clothes in just-in-time fashion as a way of it relentlessly trying to mirror the needs and styles of its users. While future brides frequently purchase custom-made wedding dresses, Shein makes it possible for its customers to buy every clothing item as though they’re a bride. Have you heard… Continue reading Book Review: Nathaniel Ellison’s Essential ‘Crypto Confidential’
Musical Memories Don’t Fade with Age
Musical Memories Don’t Fade with Age Eighty-year-olds are able to identify familiar tunes just as well as teenagers can By Bianca Nogrady & Nature magazine Musical memory might be resistant to age-related cognitive declines because it stirs emotions and becomes more encoded in memory. The ability to remember and recognize a musical theme does not… Continue reading Musical Memories Don’t Fade with Age
How Americans Mourned the Assassination of a Controversial Leader
It is easy to forget how unpopular Abraham Lincoln was during his lifetime. In fact, he was hated by much of the country—not only in the South, which seceded after his election in 1860, but also in the North. Shortly after Lincoln moved into the White House in 1861, a New Jersey editor wrote privately… Continue reading How Americans Mourned the Assassination of a Controversial Leader
NASA’s Hopes for Space Solar Power Are Looking Dim
The sun may be setting on NASA’s plans to build a space-based solar power (SBSP) satellite system to alleviate our energy needs on Earth. In January, the agency released a report that, citing launch costs specifically, concludes that generating power from orbit is simply too expensive, especially compared with solar power made right here on… Continue reading NASA’s Hopes for Space Solar Power Are Looking Dim
How Arguments that Embryos Are People Pose a Threat to IVF
On February 16 the Alabama Supreme Court brought fertility care in that state to a screeching halt—and started a national conversation—by declaring that frozen embryos were people in the eyes of the law. In support of its decision, the court cited a 19th-century Alabama statute, the state’s constitution and, in a memorable concurrence from Chief… Continue reading How Arguments that Embryos Are People Pose a Threat to IVF
New Rules for Evaluating Supernatural Phenomena (Apparitions, Visions, Eucharistic Miracles, Catholic, Vatican, Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith)
Podcast: Download MYS322: The Vatican has released new rules for evaluating reports of supernatural phenomena. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli conclude their two-part discussion by looking at the rules themselves; the possible categories; and how the investigations are to be carried out. Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Watch… Continue reading New Rules for Evaluating Supernatural Phenomena (Apparitions, Visions, Eucharistic Miracles, Catholic, Vatican, Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith)
The Physics of Cold Water May Have Jump-Started Complex Life
Modern-day algae are not early animals. But the fact that these physical pressures forced a unicellular creature into an alternate way of life that was hard to reverse feels quite powerful, Simpson said. He suspects that if scientists explore the idea that when organisms are very small, viscosity dominates their existence, we could learn something… Continue reading The Physics of Cold Water May Have Jump-Started Complex Life
The ‘Merits’ of the Inflation Reduction Act Is Another Fiction Being Unmasked
My, how things have changed in the past few weeks. By the time the Republican National Convention convened, the Democrats had hoped to be running President Biden on a platform touting the alleged success of his healthcare policy, exemplified by the poorly named Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). But his debate performance, particularly his “We beat… Continue reading The ‘Merits’ of the Inflation Reduction Act Is Another Fiction Being Unmasked
Paying Attention to Sensations Can Help Reset the Mind
Having grown up in the Danish city of Copenhagen, chef René Redzepi recalls feeling dissatisfied with the fast-food world to which many city-dwellers were accustomed. He instead attributes his love for food to his summers in Macedonia, which were filled with farm life and foraging in the nearby woods. Despite the lack of technological sophistication,… Continue reading Paying Attention to Sensations Can Help Reset the Mind