An artist’s concept of New Horizons during the spacecraft’s planned encounter with Pluto and its moon Charon. The craft’s miniature cameras, radio science experiments, ultraviolet and infrared spectrometers, and space plasma experiments would characterize the global geology and geomorphology of Pluto and Charon, map their surface compositions and temperatures, and examine Pluto’s atmosphere in detail. Credit: JohnsContinue reading “At Horizon’s Edge…”
Author Archives: reginaldgoodwin
Serendipitous Quasicrystals…
Cross-section of a fulgurite sample showing fused sand and melted conductor metal from a downed powerline. Credit: Luca Bindi et al. Topics: Condensed Matter Physics, Energy, Materials Science A team of researchers from Università di Firenze, the University of South Florida, California Institute of Technology, and Princeton University has found an incidence of a quasicrystalContinue reading “Serendipitous Quasicrystals…”
Modified Gravity…
Rotation curve of the typical spiral galaxy M 33 (yellow and blue points with error bars) and the predicted one from the distribution of the visible matter (white line). The discrepancy between the two curves is accounted for by adding a dark matter halo surrounding the galaxy. Credit: Wikipedia Topics: Astronomy, Astrophysics, Cosmology, Dark MatterContinue reading “Modified Gravity…”
Kindred and Us…
Image source: Carter Matt dot com Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Climate Change, Existentialism, Star Trek Note: Apologies for the late and last 2022 blog post. My laptop has had its own mind lately. My “Rotten Tomatoes” review: “I’ve been a fan of Octavia Butler since reading my first novel by her, “Mind of MyContinue reading “Kindred and Us…”
Grievance, Gridlock, Grift…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democratic Republic, DNA, Existentialism, Fascism The genesis of grievance The man who was least deserving of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in history is the beginning of the roots of white fragility. It wasn’t that he might have had learning disabilities or wasn’t suited for college. He turned his focusContinue reading “Grievance, Gridlock, Grift…”
Pushing Beyond Moore…
Clean-room technicians at the AIM Photonics NanoTech chip fabrication facility in Albany, New York. Credit: SUNY Polytechnic Institute Topics: Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Nanotechnology, Semiconductor Technology Over 50 Years of Moore’s Law – Intel GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has entered into a cooperativeContinue reading “Pushing Beyond Moore…”
Permafrost Zombies…
Topics: Biology, Biosecurity, Climate Change Thirteen viruses from tens of thousands of years ago have been recovered and reactivated, according to a preprint paper published in BioRxiv. These threats had been idling in the Siberian tundra for approximately 30,000 to 50,000 years before being brought back. Thanks to climate change, the thawing of the frozen terrain could revive anContinue reading “Permafrost Zombies…”
Cosmic Family Portraits…
Topics: Astronomy, Astrophysics, Planetary Science, Space Exploration Jupiter’s rings, its moons Amalthea (bright point at left) and Adrastea (faint dot at left tip of rings), and even background galaxies are visible in this image from JWST’s NIRCam instrument. Whiter areas on the planet represent regions with more cloud cover, which reflects sunlight, especially Jupiter’s famousContinue reading “Cosmic Family Portraits…”
Caveat Emptor…
Topics: Alternate Energy, Applied Physics, Climate Change, Energy, Global Warming, Lasers, Nuclear Fusion After the heady, breathtaking coverage of pop science journalism, I dove into the grim world inhabited by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists on their take on the first-ever fusion reaction. I can say that I wasn’t surprised. With all this publicity,Continue reading “Caveat Emptor…”
The Apogee of Evil…
Credit: Erik English. Topics: Biology, Biosecurity, Civilization, COVID-19, Democracy, Existentialism Weaponizing a pathogen sounds like something out of an archetype Bond villain, minus the wrapped-up plot twists by the time the credits roll, and the obligatory fawning of a stereotypical bikinied woman over the intrepid MI-6 spy. Real life doesn’t conclude so cleanly. Before everyContinue reading “The Apogee of Evil…”
Physics and Nano 