Archive for the ‘space’ category: Page 933
Sep 13, 2016
New Laser Provides Ultra-Precise Tool for Scientists Probing the Secrets of the Universe
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: particle physics, quantum physics, space
WASHINGTON — Researchers have developed a new laser that makes it possible to measure electron transition energies in small atoms and molecules with unprecedented precision. The instrument will help scientists test one of the bedrock theories of modern physics to new limits, and may help resolve an unexplained discrepancy in measurements of the size of the proton.
The team will present their work during the Frontiers in Optics (FiO) / Laser Science (LS) conference in Rochester, New York, USA on 17 −21 October 2016.
“Our target is the best tested theory there is: quantum electrodynamics,” said Kjeld Eikema, a physicist at Vrije University, The Netherlands, who led the team that built the laser. Quantum electrodynamics, or QED, was developed in the 1940s to make sense of small unexplained deviations in the measured structure of atomic hydrogen. The theory describes how light and matter interact, including the effect of ghostly ‘virtual particles.’ Its predictions have been rigorously tested and are remarkably accurate, but like extremely dedicated quality control officers, physicists keep ordering new tests, hoping to find new insights lurking in the experimentally hard-to-reach regions where the theory may yet break down.
Sep 12, 2016
The Universe expands equally in all directions — and this is bad news for Einstein’s equations
Posted by Andreas Matt in categories: information science, space
Sep 12, 2016
Jeff Bezos’s New Rocket, Built to Carry Payloads and People — By Marina Koren | The Atlantic
Posted by Odette Bohr Dienel in categories: space, space travel
“The founder of spaceflight company Blue Origin announced Monday the design of an orbital rocket called New Glenn.”
Tags: Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos
Sep 11, 2016
Elon Musk: ‘We Have Not Ruled Out’ That UFO Caused Space X Explosion (VIDEO)
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: Elon Musk, space
Hmmm.
The statement by the vaunted entrepreneur that he couldn’t rule out that UFO hunters were correct that an unidentified object or weapon initiated the explosion has alien enthusiasts out in full force.
Continue reading “Elon Musk: ‘We Have Not Ruled Out’ That UFO Caused Space X Explosion (VIDEO)” »
Sep 11, 2016
Gravitation under human control? This proposal could transform physics
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: physics, space
Produce and detect gravitational fields at will using magnetic fields, control them for studying them, work with them to produce new technologies — it sounds daring, but Prof. André Füzfa of Namur University has proposed just that in an article published in the scientific journal Physical Review D. If followed, this proposal could transform physics and shake up Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
At present, scientists study gravitational fields passively: they observe and try to understand existing gravitational fields produced by large inertial masses, such as stars or Earth, without being able to change them as is done, for example, with magnetic fields.
It was this frustration that led Füzfa to attempt a revolutionary approach: creating gravitational fields at will from well-controlled magnetic fields and observing how these magnetic fields could bend space-time.
Continue reading “Gravitation under human control? This proposal could transform physics” »
Sep 10, 2016
China to Launch Spacelab Next Week –“1st Step Toward Being the World’s De Facto Space Station”
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: military, security, space
“The vast majority of space technology being developed is dual-use, and so serves Chinese security interests as well,” says Johnson-Freese, an expert on the Chinese space program and a professor at the US Naval War College. “China understands the military advantages reaped by US space capabilities for many years, and wants those same capabilities”.
Sep 10, 2016
Why Artificial Intelligence Needs Some Sort of Moral Code
Posted by Elmar Arunov in categories: computing, ethics, robotics/AI, space
Whether you believe the buzz about artificial intelligence is merely hype or that the technology represents the future, something undeniable is happening. Researchers are more easily solving decades-long problems like teaching computers to recognize images and understanding speech at a rapid space, and companies like Google goog and Facebook fb are pouring millions of dollars into their own related projects.
What could possibly go wrong?
For one thing, advances in artificial intelligence could eventually lead to unforeseen consequences. University of California at Berkeley professor Stuart Russell is concerned that powerful computers powered by artificial intelligence, or AI, could unintentionally create problems that humans cannot predict.
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