Topics: Applied Physics, Nanotechnology, Optics At the focus of a laser, a 100-nm-wide gold nanoparticle can block more than half the light. If additional particles are added, the amount of blocked light increases exponentially, as modeled by the Beer–Lambert law. But theorists predict that in the right set of circumstances, the addition of a moleculeContinue reading “Transparency…”
Author Archives: reginaldgoodwin
Chirality…
Topics: Modern Physics, Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics Our right and left hands are reflections of one another, but they are not equal. To hide one hand perfectly behind the other, we must face our palms in opposite directions. In physics, the concept of handedness (or chirality) works similarly: It is a property of objects thatContinue reading “Chirality…”
Apocalypse, Now…
Topics: Climate Change, Existentialism, Global Warming Cultural reference: Apocalypse Now When Luciana Leite arrived in the Pantanal on 2 September, she thought she would be celebrating her wedding anniversary. Instead, the biologist and her husband spent their eight-day planned holiday aiding volunteers and firefighters struggling to extinguish the burning landscape. A common destination for ecotourists,Continue reading “Apocalypse, Now…”
Tang Jet…
Topics: Aerodynamics, Futurism, Plasma, Propulsion, Spaceflight Personal note: I’ve been offline prepping for my preliminary exam presentation, and grieving the loss of a friend I had known for 40 years since our freshman year at NC A&T. I was his best man. He did not die of COVID, but a heart attack. As such, myContinue reading “Tang Jet…”
Fierce Urgency…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Climate Change, COVID-19, Existentialism, Fascism “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there “is” such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. ThisContinue reading “Fierce Urgency…”
Untangling Entanglement…
Topics: Entanglement, Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Optics Natalia Herrera-Valencia and colleagues have successfully unscrambled entangled light after it has passed through a 2 m long multimode fibre. Led by Mehul Malik, the team at the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh tackled the challenge using entanglement itself. The research was done in collaboration with a colleague at theContinue reading “Untangling Entanglement…”
Joan Feynman…
Topics: Astrophysics, Condensed Matter Physics, Diversity in Science, Women in Science Dr. Joan Feynman was “Surely, You’re Joking,” Nobel laureate Dr. Richard Feynman’s baby sister, and an impressive scientist in her own right. We lost her in July. She broke through a lot of barriers that her science progeny are now, rightfully, walking through. JoanContinue reading “Joan Feynman…”
City-Sized, Secure Quantum Network…
Topics: Cryptography, Futurism, Internet of Things, Modern Physics, Quantum Computer, Quantum Mechanics Quantum cryptography promises a future in which computers communicate with one another over ultrasecure links using the razzle-dazzle of quantum physics. But scaling up the breakthroughs in research labs to networks with a large number of nodes has proved difficult. Now an international teamContinue reading “City-Sized, Secure Quantum Network…”
Color Coding…
Topics: African Americans, African Studies, Futurism, Sociology Technology is not unbiased, according to a scholar investigating the phenomenon of technological racism. As people recognize the embedded biases within technology, the growing and multifaceted tech justice movement is working to counter these biases, added the scholar. Ruha Benjamin, a sociologist and professor of African American studiesContinue reading “Color Coding…”
Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, COVID-19, Existentialism, Fascism, Human Rights Public-opinion polling shows that Trump’s low opinion of American elections has practically become Republican Party orthodoxy. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday, Republicans have an “unprecedented” level of “concern and mistrust in the system.” Roughly 70 percent of Republican voters believe that if Hillary Clinton winsContinue reading “Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc…”
Physics and Nano 