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?
Tag: Quantum Stuff
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
Is Time Travel Possible?
In the movies, time travelers typically step inside a machine and—poof—disappear. They then reappear instantaneously among cowboys, knights or dinosaurs. What these films show is basically time teleportation. Scientists don’t think this conception is likely in the real world, but they also don’t relegate time travel to the crackpot realm. In fact, the laws of… Continue reading Is Time Travel Possible?
Science, Not Legalized Discrimination, Should Drive Health Care Policy
If you’ve gotten a free flu shot, mammogram or diabetes screening lately, there’s a good chance you can thank the Affordable Care Act (ACA), aka Obamacare. Unfortunately, a recent court decision may take that coverage away from millions of Americans. Some 20–40 percent of U.S. deaths from cancer, heart disease and other leading causes of… Continue reading Science, Not Legalized Discrimination, Should Drive Health Care Policy
Renate Loll Blends Universes to Unlock Quantum Gravity
Quanta Magazine > 0; if (typeof predicate !== ‘function’) { throw new TypeError(‘predicate must be a function’); } var thisArg = arguments[1]; var k = 0; while (k We care about your data, and we’d like to use cookies to give you a smooth browsing experience. Please agree and read more about our privacy policy.Agree… Continue reading Renate Loll Blends Universes to Unlock Quantum Gravity
The Bad Side of ‘Good’ Cholesterol
Tanya Lewis: Hi, and welcome to Your Health, Quickly, a Scientific American podcast series! Josh Fischman: On this show, we highlight the latest vital health news, discoveries that affect your body and your mind. Every episode, we dive into one topic. We discuss diseases, treatments, and some controversies. Lewis: And we demystify the medical research… Continue reading The Bad Side of ‘Good’ Cholesterol