Schematic diagram of the worm-inspired robot. Credit: Jin et al. Topics: Applied Physics, Biomimetics, Instrumentation, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics Bio-inspired robots, robotic systems that emulate the appearance, movements, and/or functions of specific biological systems, could help to tackle real-world problems more efficiently and reliably. Over the past two decades, roboticists have introduced a growing number ofContinue reading “As The Worm Turns…”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Solar…
The LRESE parabolic dish: the solar reactor converts solar energy to hydrogen with an efficiency of more than 20%, producing around 0.5 kg of “green” hydrogen per day. (Courtesy: LRESE EPFL) Topics: Applied Physics, Energy, Environment, Research, Solar Power A new solar-radiation-concentrating device produces “green” hydrogen at a rate of more than 2 kilowatts whileContinue reading “Solar…”
Strange Metals II…
Credit: CC0 Public Domain Topics: Applied Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, Metamaterials, Quantum Mechanics The behavior of so-called “strange metals” has long puzzled scientists—but a group of researchers at the University of Toronto may be one step closer to understanding these materials. Electrons are discrete, subatomic particles that flow through wires like molecules of water flowingContinue reading “Strange Metals II…”
By Comparison…
Is Facebook Turning You Into a Troglodyte? Zachary Shtogren, Big Think Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Existentialism, Fascism, Human Rights Framework (noun): (a) a basic conceptional structure (as of ideas), (b) a skeletal, openwork, or structural frame, FRAME OF REFERENCE (Merriam-Webster); ACADEMIC: The theoretical framework is the structure that can hold or support a theoryContinue reading “By Comparison…”
Reimagining ET…
Life on other planets might not look like any beings we’re used to on Earth. It may even be unrecognizable at first to scientists searching for it. Credit: William Hand Topics: Astrobiology, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Planetary Science, SETI, Space Exploration Sarah Stewart Johnson was a college sophomore when she first stood atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea volcano. ItsContinue reading “Reimagining ET…”
Spooky Action Between Friends…
Credit: Petrovich9/Getty Images Topics: Entanglement, Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Research, Theoretical Physics Reference: Albert Einstein colorfully dismissed quantum entanglement—the ability of separated objects to share a condition or state—as “spooky action at a distance.” Science.org For the first time, scientists have observed quantum interference—a wavelike interaction between particles related to the weird quantum phenomenon of entanglement—occurring betweenContinue reading “Spooky Action Between Friends…”
At Horizon’s Edge…
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…”
Dinosaurs and Dodos…
Credit: Andrzej Puchta/Alamy Stock Photo Topics: Asteroids, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Civilization, Computer Modeling The following article, since it simulated the destruction of my hometown, two days after my sixtieth birthday, is a little personal. ***** On August 16, 2022, an approximately 70-meter asteroid entered Earth’s atmosphere. At 2:02:10 P.M. EDT, the space rock exploded eight miles overContinue reading “Dinosaurs and Dodos…”
The Business Model…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Democracy, Existentialism, Fascism, Human Rights “Maxwell Smart, a highly intellectual but bumbling spy working for the CONTROL agency, battles the evil forces of rival spy agency KAOS with the help of his competent partner Agent 99.” Source: Internet Movie Database (1965 – 1970) There were several spy genres on television asContinue reading “The Business Model…”
Mirror, Mirror…
Topics: Applied Physics, Atomic-Scale Microscopy, Materials Science, Optics (Nanowerk News) When it goes online, the MAGIS-100 experiment at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and its successors will explore the nature of gravitational waves and search for certain kinds of wavelike dark matter. But first, researchers need to figure out something pretty basic: how to get good photographsContinue reading “Mirror, Mirror…”