Topics: Astrophysics, Space Exploration, Spaceflight ‘Oumuamua—a mysterious, interstellar object that crashed through our solar system two years ago—might in fact be alien technology. That’s because an alternative, non-alien explanation might be fatally flawed, as a new study argues. But most scientists think the idea that we spotted alien technology in our solar system is aContinue reading “Oumuamua…”
Author Archives: reginaldgoodwin
Starliner…
Topics: NASA, Space Exploration, Spaceflight NASA and Boeing continue to make progress toward the company’s second uncrewed flight test of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft prior to flying astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Commercial Crew Program currently is targeting no earlier than December 2020 for launch ofContinue reading “Starliner…”
Graphene Currents…
Topics: Materials Science, Nanotechnology, Quantum Mechanics, Semiconductor Technology A team led by researchers from Harvard University and the University of Maryland in the US has used defects in diamond to map the magnetic field generated by electrical currents in graphene. Their experiments reveal that currents in this atomically-thin form of carbon flow like a viscousContinue reading “Graphene Currents…”
Fit…
Topics: Applied Physics, NIST, Research, Robotics A shoddily tailored suit or a shrunken T-shirt may not be the most stylish, but wearing them is unlikely to hurt more than your reputation. An ill-fitting robotic exoskeleton on the battlefield or factory floor, however, could be a much bigger problem than a fashion faux pas. Exoskeletons, manyContinue reading “Fit…”
Call It by Its Name…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, COVID-19, Fascism, Human Rights Turning Point: China removes presidential term limits. First we see the face. The face of America’s Donald Trump, or Hungary’s Viktor Orban, or Russia’s Vladimir Putin, or Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the face of men who wish to transform democracies into personality cults. The face is the oldest mark ofContinue reading “Call It by Its Name…”
Cats, Llamas, Coronavirus Therapies…
Topics: Chemistry, COVID-19, Physics, Research As the world anxiously awaits development of one or more vaccines to tame the SARS-CoV-2 virus, other research continues at a feverish pace to find effective treatments for the disease it causes, COVID-19. That work, in which physicists and chemists are deeply involved, has made significant strides in the pastContinue reading “Cats, Llamas, Coronavirus Therapies…”
Remnant…
Topics: Astrophysics, Interstellar, Plasma, Supernovae, Radiation Scientists have found new evidence that Earth has been moving through the remains of exploded stars for at least the last 33,000 years. In a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of Australian researchers describe how they extracted a special isotope of iron called iron-60Continue reading “Remnant…”
Plasma Guides and Lasers…
Topics: Lasers, Optics, Plasma, Research, Star Trek, Star Wars In science fiction, firing powerful lasers looks easy — the Death Star can just send destructive power hurtling through space as a tight beam. But in reality, once a powerful laser has been fired, care must be taken to ensure it doesn’t get spread too thin.Continue reading “Plasma Guides and Lasers…”
APS…
Topics: COVID-19, Materials Science, Optics, Photonics, Research From chemistry to materials science to COVID-19 research, the APS is one of the most productive X-ray light sources in the world. An upgrade will make it a global leader among the next generation of light sources, opening new frontiers in science. In the almost 25 years since the Advanced Photon Source (APS), aContinue reading “APS…”
Entropy and Existence…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Existentialism, Fascism, Human Rights Entropy as Time’s Arrow: “One of the ideas involved in the concept of entropy is that nature tends from order to disorder in isolated systems.” Hyperphysics The Senate Intelligence Committees’ bipartisan report confirming Russian interference in the 2016 election, and that Putin’s puppet; his coterie lied in official testimonyContinue reading “Entropy and Existence…”
Physics and Nano 