Topics: Astrobiology, Biology, Cosmology, SETI Life, for all its complexities, has a simple commonality: It spreads. Plants, animals, and bacteria have colonized almost every nook and cranny of our world. But why stop there? Some scientists speculate that biological matter may have proliferated across the cosmos itself, transported from planet to planet on wayward lumpsContinue reading “Panspermia…”
Author Archives: reginaldgoodwin
Virgin Hyperloop…
Topics: Economics, Futurism, Magnetism, Transportation In the desert just north of Las Vegas, a long white metal tube sits at the base of the mountains, promising to one day revolutionize travel. That is where Virgin Hyperloop, whose partners include Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, is developing the technology for passenger pods that will hurtle at speedsContinue reading “Virgin Hyperloop…”
Munchausen Oligarchy…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Existentialism, Fascism, Human Rights Munchausen Syndrome was named after a German cavalry officer Baron von Munchausen (1720-1797), a man who traveled widely and was known for his dramatic but untruthful stories. In 1951 Richard Asher described a pattern of self-abuse, where individuals fabricated histories of illness. These fabrications most often led toContinue reading “Munchausen Oligarchy…”
Recycled Plastics, Sustainable Fabrics…
Topics: Ecology, Environment, Green Tech, Materials Science Polyethylene is one of the most common plastics in the world, but it is seldom found in clothing because it cannot absorb or carry away water. (Imagine wearing a plastic bag – you would feel very uncomfortable very quickly.) Now, however, researchers in the US have developed aContinue reading “Recycled Plastics, Sustainable Fabrics…”
Antistars…
Topics: Astronomy, Astrophysics, Cosmology, High Energy Physics Fourteen possible antimatter stars (“antistars”) have been flagged up by astronomers searching for the origin of puzzling amounts of antihelium nuclei detected coming from deep space by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) on the International Space Station. Three astronomers at the University of Toulouse – Simon Dupourqué, LuigiContinue reading “Antistars…”
Masochists, Mask Holes, and Gaslighters…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Existentialism, Fascism, Human Rights, Propaganda Tucker Carlson appears to be made of Teflon. Fox News’ top-rated host has been repeatedly accused of anti-immigrant and racist comments, which have cost his political opinion show many of its major advertisers. Yet Carlson endures in his prime-time slot. Carlson even attacked his own network’s chiefContinue reading “Masochists, Mask Holes, and Gaslighters…”
Elephants, Mice, and Clocks…
Topics: Biology, DNA, Evolution, Research In her laboratory in Barcelona, Spain, Miki Ebisuya has built a clock without cogs, springs, or numbers. This clock doesn’t tick. It is made of genes and proteins, and it keeps time in a layer of cells that Ebisuya’s team has grown in its lab. This biological clock is tiny,Continue reading “Elephants, Mice, and Clocks…”
Graphene Beam Splitter…
Topics: Graphene, Interferometry, Nanotechnology, Quantum Computer A graphene-based “beam splitter” for electronic currents has been built by researchers in France, South Korea, and Japan. Created by Preden Roulleau at the University of Paris and colleagues, the tunable device’s operation is directly comparable that of an optical interferometer. The technology could soon enable allow electron interferometry to beContinue reading “Graphene Beam Splitter…”
Whipsawed, Gobsmacked…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Existentialism, Fascism, Human Rights JELANI COBB, STAFF WRITER, “THE NEW YORKER”: It was kind of a whiplash, you know, because there was a great deal of relief and joy, jubilation really, at the guilty verdict that came down in the Derek Chauvin trial. And then just that quickly, people were kindContinue reading “Whipsawed, Gobsmacked…”
Argonne, Assemble…
Topics: Climate Change, Energy, Environment, Existentialism, Global Warming, Green Tech Thankfully, we’re not. Hat tip to Marvel, and Rotten Tomatoes. Scientists aren’t superheroes. Or are they? Superheroes defend the defenseless and save humanity from any number of disasters, both natural and unnatural, often using powers of logic and some really hip techno-gadgets. The Earth isContinue reading “Argonne, Assemble…”
Physics and Nano 