A new measurement of the strong nuclear force, which binds protons and neutrons together, confirms previous hints of an uncomfortable truth: We still don’t have a solid theoretical grasp of even the simplest nuclear systems. To test the strong nuclear force, physicists turned to the helium-4 nucleus, which has two protons and two neutrons. When… Continue reading A New Experiment Casts Doubt on the Leading Theory of the Nucleus
Category: Quantum Stuff
‘Embryo Models’ Challenge Legal, Ethical and Biological Concepts
Embryo models might offer a way to go down that path with even fewer legal and ethical restrictions. They are not legally considered to be embryos because they do not have the potential to grow into viable organisms. So even under present guidelines and regulations in many countries, if embryo models can be grown through… Continue reading ‘Embryo Models’ Challenge Legal, Ethical and Biological Concepts
People Differ Widely in Their Understanding of Even a Simple Concept Such as the Word ‘Penguin’
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word “penguin” as “any of various erect short-legged flightless aquatic birds (family Spheniscidae) of the southern hemisphere.” That description seems simple enough, but definitions are not what people have in mind when they actually use words. Instead people think of concepts: the myriad properties, ideas, examples and associations that spring… Continue reading People Differ Widely in Their Understanding of Even a Simple Concept Such as the Word ‘Penguin’
Some Neural Networks Learn Language Like Humans
How do brains learn? It’s a mystery, one that applies both to the spongy organs in our skulls and to their digital counterparts in our machines. Even though artificial neural networks (ANNs) are built from elaborate webs of artificial neurons, ostensibly mimicking the way our brains process information, we don’t know if they process input… Continue reading Some Neural Networks Learn Language Like Humans
Who Invented the Measurement of Time?
In modern times, clocks underpin everything people do, from work to school to sleep. Timekeeping is also the invisible structure that makes modern infrastructure work. It forms the foundation of the high-speed computers that conduct financial trading and even the GPS system that pinpoints locations on Earth’s surface with unprecedented accuracy. But humans have likely… Continue reading Who Invented the Measurement of Time?
Japanese Moon Landing Attempt Falls Short as Spacecraft Goes Silent
A Japanese company’s attempt to execute the first commercial landing on the moon has ended with a dramatic silence, with mission controllers unable to establish communications after the scheduled landing. The HAKUTO-R mission was designed by the Japanese company ispace and launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December 2022. With the failed landing… Continue reading Japanese Moon Landing Attempt Falls Short as Spacecraft Goes Silent
How Winners of the ‘Green Nobel’ Are Protecting the Environment
CLIMATEWIRE | The Goldman Environmental Prize will go to six environmental activists this year, recognizing them for their efforts to protect lands and communities from Brazil to Turkey to Texas. Announced Monday, this year’s prize — known as the “Green Nobel” — comes as the threats from climate change and environmental degradation accelerate. The winners fought… Continue reading How Winners of the ‘Green Nobel’ Are Protecting the Environment
Math That Goes On Forever but Never Repeats
But let’s get back to tiling the line. There’s an important distinction we need to make. Consider the following new rules for our tiles A and B. Next to an A, on either side you can place an A or a B. Next to a B, on either side you can only place an A.… Continue reading Math That Goes On Forever but Never Repeats
Is It Real or Imagined? How Your Brain Tells the Difference.
What is clear is that the brain must be able to accurately regulate how strong a mental image is to avoid confusion between fantasy and reality. “The brain has this really careful balancing act that it has to perform,” Naselaris said. “In some sense it is going to interpret mental imagery as literally as it… Continue reading Is It Real or Imagined? How Your Brain Tells the Difference.
A Rare Glimpse into Afghanistan’s Spectacular, Vanishing Forests
WAMA DISTRICT, NURISTAN, AFGHANISTAN—When Dilaram comes into view through the trees, he’s standing astride the felled trunk of a huge cedar, the chainsaw in his hands straining as it spews smoke and sawdust. It’s 10:30 A.M., and the air is filled with the smell of conifer needles and two-stroke exhaust. Forty-year-old Dilaram, who goes by… Continue reading A Rare Glimpse into Afghanistan’s Spectacular, Vanishing Forests