SiC/SiC Composites, Pulsed Lasers, and Water…
Schematic of annulus-conical water jet-assisted laser machining. Fig 1 Topics: Applied Physics, Composite Materials, Fluid Mechanics, Lasers, Materials Science, Nanoengineering Abstract When processing SiC/SiC composites using nanosecond-pulsed lasers, thermal effects such as molten deposition and heat-affected zones (HAZs) will occur. In this study, an annulus-conical water jet (ACWJ) was introduced to assist nanosecond laser machining…
Rogue Planet…
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Astronomers just measured the mass of a free-floating planet without a star for the first time Topics: Astronomy, Astrophysics, Exoplanets, NASA When we imagine a planet, we think of one like ours, orbiting a star. But some have a far lonelier existence, drifting through interstellar space without a sun to…
Quantum Cryptography…
Credit: VectorMine/Shutterstock Topics: Computer Science, Cryptography, Cybersecurity, NIST, Quantum Computer, Quantum Mechanics Note: As a Communications-Computer Systems Officer in the US Air Force, I was once responsible for Technical Control, Computer Maintenance, and Crypto-Teletype (not that anyone uses a teletype anymore – I hope not!). I also beta-tested DARPANET at Bergstrom Air Force Base, which…
Almost the Twilight Zone…
Topics: Computer Modeling, Mathematics, Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Theoretical Physics The concept of a fourth dimension is so elusive and mysterious that many of us find it almost impossible to comprehend. But could an additional layer of spatial reality truly exist, hidden beyond our three-dimensional worldview? Tantalizingly, scientists now claim to have built a fourth dimension…
Hitchhikers…
Topics: Astronautics, Astrophysics, Moonbase, NASA One of the key challenges in building and sustaining a permanent settlement on the moon, as in 2001: A Space Odyssey, is finding a reliable and economical means of transporting essential resources, such as water and energy. The good news is that while the moon may look like a barren wasteland…
Superconductivity and Electron Pairs…
Topics: Condensed Matter Physics, Materials Science, Modern Physics, Superconductors It’s one of the most stubborn open questions of modern physics: What’s the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity? All superconductors need some way of binding their electrons, which are fermions, into quasiparticles called Cooper pairs, which act as bosons. The low-temperature superconductivity in metals is well described…
Travels…
Breakthrough discovery in plants’ DNA may lead to slowing the aging process in humans, Sandee LaMotte, CNN, November 18, 2019 Topics: Biology, Civics, Civil Rights, Entropy, History, Philosophy My last post on this site was on my birthday this summer. I have been commuting to and from work in Durham during the government shutdown (a…
The War on Truth…
GIF Image Source: Nathan Rabin’s Happy Place Blog Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democracy, Environment, Existentialism “It’s a Good Life” is the eighth episode of the third season of the American television series The Twilight Zone, and the 73rd overall. It was written by series creator/showrunner Rod Serling, based on the 1953 short story “It’s…
The Audacity of Arrogance…
Topics: African Studies, Civil Engineering, Civilization, Diaspora, History A personal note: I am mandated to drive into my office daily, which for me is a one-hour and ten-minute commute if the traffic is optimal. Two of my colleagues opted to separate from government service as their commutes were two hours for one and two and…
Eugenics…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democracy, Economics, Education, Existentialism Carrie Buck and her mother (left panel) were both labelled as “feebleminded,” shorthand for unintelligent and undesirable. In the 1927 the Supreme Court case, Buck v. Bell, judges endorsed the surgical sterilization of Carrie Buck, who was pregnant due to rape at age 16. Officials at…
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Physics and Nano 