If instruments do someday detect evidence of life beyond Earth, whether it’s in this solar system or in the farther reaches of space, astrobiologists want to be ready. One of the best ways to learn how alien life might function can be to study the organisms called extremophiles, which live in incredibly challenging environments on or… Continue reading What Can Cave Life Tell Us About Alien Ecosystems?
Tag: Quantum Stuff
The Hidden World of Electrostatic Ecology
As more evidence links static to survival, a story is emerging that evolution may fine-tune the capacity to sense or carry charge just like any other trait. “The fact that there’s such a diverse range of species with different ecologies is what makes it so interesting,” said Beth Harris, a graduate student in Robert’s lab.… Continue reading The Hidden World of Electrostatic Ecology
When Data Is Missing, Scientists Guess. Then Guess Again.
In 1971, a year after completing his doctorate, Rubin started working for the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey. When a government agency asked ETS to analyze a survey with missing data, Rubin proposed an unconventional but surprisingly simple solution: Don’t just impute once. Impute multiple times. Imputing, and Imputing Again Let’s go back… Continue reading When Data Is Missing, Scientists Guess. Then Guess Again.
Computer Scientists Combine Two ‘Beautiful’ Proof Methods
How do you prove something is true? For mathematicians, the answer is simple: Start with some basic assumptions and proceed, step by step, to the conclusion. QED, proof complete. If there’s a mistake anywhere, an expert who reads the proof carefully should be able to spot it. Otherwise, the proof must be valid. Mathematicians have… Continue reading Computer Scientists Combine Two ‘Beautiful’ Proof Methods
The Two Faces of Space-Time
Anyone who has seen the classic rabbit-duck optical illusion knows the magic and confusion of duality. One might see a duck facing to the left with its bill hanging slightly open or a rabbit with its nose pointing to the right and its ears extending behind it. Both perspectives are valid. In physics, duality is… Continue reading The Two Faces of Space-Time
The #1 Clue to Quantum Gravity Sits on the Surfaces of Black Holes
Karl Schwarzschild first stumbled upon black holes in 1916, but for a long time they weren’t really a thing. “Black holes were discovered as a purely geometric object — in a sense, just empty space. Nothing,” said Yuk Ting Albert Law, a theoretical physicist at Stanford University. A mathematical oddity that popped out of Albert… Continue reading The #1 Clue to Quantum Gravity Sits on the Surfaces of Black Holes
If the Universe Is a Hologram, This Long-Forgotten Math Could Decode It
Von Neumann and a collaborator, Francis Murray, eventually identified three types of operator algebras. Each one applies to a different kind of physical system. The systems are classified by two physical quantities: entanglement and a property called entropy. Physicists first discovered entropy while studying steam engines in the 1800s. They later came to understand it… Continue reading If the Universe Is a Hologram, This Long-Forgotten Math Could Decode It
Trump’s Massive Deportation Plan Echoes Concentration Camp History
Trump’s Massive Deportation Plan Echoes Concentration Camp History Trump’s language about immigrants “poisoning” the U.S. repeats past rhetoric that led to civilian detention camps, with horrific, tragic results By Andrea Pitzer Some attendees of the Republican National Convention hold “Mass Deportation Now” signs on July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wis. The Republican National Convention hit… Continue reading Trump’s Massive Deportation Plan Echoes Concentration Camp History
How the Nutrition Facts Label Has Changed Food in the U.S.
The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. The Nutrition Facts label, that black and white information box found on nearly every packaged food product in the U.S. since 1994, has recently become an icon for consumer transparency. From Apple’s “Privacy Nutrition Labels” that disclose how… Continue reading How the Nutrition Facts Label Has Changed Food in the U.S.
Biden Is Out—And Discussion about Aging Is on the Loose in Politics
Biden Is Out—And the Discussion of Aging in Politics Is In The current presidential race has ensured that age will be a key and likely fraught consideration in future elections. Can science help determine how old is too old for a candidate before politics does? By Jerel Ezell Donald Trump and Joe Biden at the… Continue reading Biden Is Out—And Discussion about Aging Is on the Loose in Politics