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Cracks In The Fundaments Of Quantum Physics

Cracks In The Fundaments Of Quantum Physics

Apr 21 2011 | comment(s)

In its first years the development of quantum physics occurred violently. As a consequence some cracks sneaked into the fundaments of this branch of physics. A careful investigation brings these cracks to the foreground. The endeavor to repair these cracks delivers remarkable results.

In the early days of quantum physics much attention was given to equations of motion that were corrections of classical equations of motion. The Schrödinger approach was one and the Heisenberg approach was another. Schrödinger used a picture in which the state of a particle changes with time. Heisenberg uses a picture in which the operators change with time. For the observables this difference makes no difference.
Mix Science And God Correctly Or Don’t!

Mix Science And God Correctly Or Don’t!

Apr 21 2011 | comment(s)

Mixing Science and Religion is always a hot topic. Recently, there was for example a debate between Sam Harris and Robert Winston in the Guardian, about, you guessed it, science versus faith! Harris is all for science:

We have Christians believing in the holy ghost, the resurrection of Jesus and his possible return -- these are claims about biology and physics which, from a scientific point of view in the 21st century, should be unsustainable.

A Little Beauty

A Little Beauty

Apr 21 2011 | comment(s)

In Texas, you've no doubt heard, wildfires rage, and hundreds of thousands of acres have been burned. The smoke from nearby fires leave the sky hazy and the smell of it invades lungs and causes coughing. We've been lucky where I live with fires in the neighboring counties, but none here. We've had hot, hot weather with near 100 degree days. 


With all that's going on, it's nice to stop and appreciate the pockets of beauty.





Marshlands are to be protected for human survival and survival of sea animals

Marshlands are to be protected for human survival and survival of sea animals

Apr 20 2011 | comment(s)

Marshlands are to be protected for human survival and survival of sea animals Shedding "crocodile tears" or as my father used to quote "why to cry over spilled milk" or as I would say " why to cry over spilled oil " is no longer useful in protecting mother earth. Marshlands are to be protected and not to be drilled or colonised if human race has to survive another 1000 year or so. Oyster fishing , shrimps fishing is being adversely affected by oil companies laying pipelines on the coastal areas and destroying the marshlands. Oil is important but human life is much more important. Nature has made typical marshlands, coastal reefs, coastal marshlands, sea coasts, and beaches not to be encroached by human inhabitants but to be preserved for safety and survival of coastal populations.
Does Your Intestinal Bacteria Type Determine How Well Medicines Work?

Does Your Intestinal Bacteria Type Determine How Well Medicines Work?

Apr 20 2011 | comment(s)

A new study says that an individual’s intestinal bacteria flora organizes itself in certain clusters and they hypothesize this intestinal bacteria flora will have an influence on how we react to diet and medicine absorbed through the gastro-intestinal tract.
ATLAS Supersymmetry Limits: How Sad To Be Always Right...

ATLAS Supersymmetry Limits: How Sad To Be Always Right...

Apr 20 2011 | comment(s)

That's because you never learn anything new.

[By the way: if you were coming here to learn the solution of my riddle about the mysterious plot I posted here yesterday, be patient - I will publish an answer tomorrow on that issue.]
Sunburn with Sunscreen - A Case Study

Sunburn with Sunscreen - A Case Study

Apr 20 2011 | comment(s)

The subject of this case-study is a 44 year old female of Indian [Asian] origin with no past history of immunodeficiency. Currently, she is in reasonable health for her age and shows no signs or symptoms of any serious illness. A genetic predisposition to sunburn rather than to tan upon exposure to the sun runs in both her mother’s and father’s families.

The experimental design was identical in each trial such that the subject sat upon a park bench at noon facing the direct sunlight on a clear, sunny day. Each experiment lasted between 30 and 60 minutes following the application of sunscreen ranging from 15 to 30 spf. The control experiment was performed under the same conditions without the application of any sunscreen or sun lotion.
BPA, and a hidden cause of obesity?

BPA, and a hidden cause of obesity?

Apr 20 2011 | comment(s)

 
 
I’m not sure how come Real Clear Science came to replace Live Science on the board, but they do have a lot of jolly good stuff.  Today, following one of their links, I was heartened to read something in favour of plastics: 
 
 

A Toxic Setback for the Anti-Plastic Campaigners


Happy 1400th Birthday, Anania Shirakatsi

Happy 1400th Birthday, Anania Shirakatsi

Apr 20 2011 | comment(s)

Anania Shirakatsi (Ananias of Shirak) was an Armenian scientist and mathematician, famous there for authoring two important works, Geography and Cosmography and the Calendar, which tackled astronomy, meteorology, and geography.

He is considered the father of natural sciences in Armenia and his books, while readable to a lay audience, were also technical enough to be used as textbooks for centuries.   
Guess The Plot: Solution And Comments

Guess The Plot: Solution And Comments

Apr 20 2011 | comment(s)

After the disturbance created by the Higgs rumour in ATLAS, I think we can go back to normal business - in this case, keeping my word on discussing things that were left hanging.

Your response to my small riddle was quite good, forcing me to provide a timely and exhaustive explanation of what is in the plot I posted a few days ago.
Autism Awareness Month: Autism In Documentaries

Autism Awareness Month: Autism In Documentaries

Apr 20 2011 | comment(s)

As everyone in the autism community knows all too well, April is Autism Awareness month and a good time to release autism documentaries.
U.S. Greenhouse Gases Drop To 1990s Levels - And Why That's Bad

U.S. Greenhouse Gases Drop To 1990s Levels - And Why That's Bad

Apr 19 2011 | comment(s)

When European politicians picked a target date for greenhouse gas emissions in the Kyoto accord, American environmentalists applauded despite the motivation - economic harm for the US with little to Europe, since Germany simply had to scuttle Soviet-era factories they acquired in the re-merger with East Germany and France switched to more nuclear power in order to try and meet their CO2 targets.
If Restaurants Label Pasta As Salad, Dieters Choose It More

If Restaurants Label Pasta As Salad, Dieters Choose It More

Apr 19 2011 | comment(s)

Dieting is hard work.  While ingesting the calories to gain weight is simple, the loss of those calories and the mental 'hunger' and the exercise it requires is no small thing.

Given that, it's no surprise dieters who look for healthy food choices are happy to suspend disbelief it it allows them to abdicate responsibility to a menu in a restaurant - and so they are more likely than non-dieters to choose unhealthy foods that are labeled as healthy, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. It seems that dieter focus on food names can work to their disadvantage.
Burn the heretic witches at the stake?

Burn the heretic witches at the stake?

Apr 19 2011 | comment(s)

In a recent email, my mother commented how I should help dissuade my younger sister from debating religious ethics on Facebook with our cousin.  I didn't seek out the conversation, but we can vividly imagine the sorts of debates between an atheist and a Catholic.   Instead of trying to limit my sister's free flow of ideas, I have instead reflected on both atheism itself, as well as the public presentation of one's ideology.

The impetus for actually writing down my ideas to a potentially broader public, however, originated from reading a quote from Phil Fernandes's book The Atheist Delusion which states:
Tree instinct is to flower and producte seeds ?

Tree instinct is to flower and producte seeds ?

Apr 19 2011 | comment(s)

During winters trees shed the leaves and become leafless . Once the spring season comes two kind of behavior are apparent.
Guess The Plot!

Guess The Plot!

Apr 19 2011 | comment(s)

A picture is worth a thousand words. This is true both for photographs and for graphs, but sometimes the words are spoken to the wrong ears. I would like to offer you a very simple, visual test today: show you a picture and let you guess what it represents. Depending on the response, this might end in oblivion or be tried again with another subject.

So the question is: what does the picture below represent ?



A few hints:

- I did the graph myself, and it took me 10' of programming and a tenth of a second of CPU on my laptop.
Higgs? We ain't got no Higgs

Higgs? We ain't got no Higgs

Apr 19 2011 | comment(s)

The title is a playful variation on a line from a Bogart movie, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.  That was an adaptation from a novel of the same title:
"All right," Curtin shouted back. "If you are the [LHC] police, where are your [Higgs]? Let's see them."
One More Thing To Blame Your Mother For - Her Diet During Pregnancy May Have Made You Obese

One More Thing To Blame Your Mother For - Her Diet During Pregnancy May Have Made You Obese

Apr 18 2011 | comment(s)

In the 'we need to make sure all people can abdicate any responsibility for their actions' department, a new study makes obesity exculpatory by determining that a mother's nutrition during pregnancy influences the child's risk of obesity many years later.

Whew.  And here you were worried too many pizzas would influence the risk of obesity.

The downside to epigenetics studies is that they run the risk of turning legitimate aspects of biology into the DNA equivalent of evolutionary psychology by making bizarre correlation-causation claims.
Solving The Ozone Problem Caused By Electric Cars

Solving The Ozone Problem Caused By Electric Cars

Apr 18 2011 | comment(s)

Ozone is a known pollutant at low levels in the earth’s atmosphere, which causes harmful effects on the respiratory system and sensitive plants.    Ozone forms as hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides emitted into the air react with sunlight. Two of the largest emitters of these pollutants are vehicles and electricity generating units (EGUs) but as Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) have risen in popularity over the past decade the positive impact on the environment due to lack of fossil fuel exhaust fumes is offset by increased ozone.