Physics

The first few hundred thousand years of existence. From the Big Bang. To the Cosmic Microwave Background.

Today mankind has a pretty good understanding of what physical processes followed the big bang, and lead to the universe we see  today. This understanding is based on the solid foundation of  direct observations of the first light to travel through a  tran ...

Blog Post - Hontas Farmer - Dec 17 2009 - 10:41pm

First LHC Results!

This morning LHC machinists, experimentalists from the LHC experiments, as well as other CERN personnel gathered in the Main Auditorium at CERN to give their end-of-year report. After a LHC status report the spokespersons of ALICE, ATLAS, CMS, LHCB, and TO ...

Article - Tommaso Dorigo - Dec 20 2009 - 4:27am

About Naturalness!

Two days ago, there was a post on backreaction about the naturalness in science, which is considered by many as a fundamental concept. The point of view expressed in the post is quite easy to grasp: naturalness is not a justified argument in any sense (edi ...

Article - A. L. B - Dec 20 2009 - 3:51pm

Accumulation Point

It is over, but it was frantic. Luca, the Ph.D. student who works with me at the analysis of CMS data (the one which has brought us to the approval of a first signal of the phi meson) summarized it best on Tuesday evening, at the party thrown by our big bo ...

Blog Post - Tommaso Dorigo - Dec 24 2009 - 6:35am

Physics Homework For Your Holidays

Scared by the void of Christmas vacations? Unable to put just a few more feet between your mouth and the candy tray? Suffocating in the trivialities of the chit-chat with relatives? I have a solution for you. How about trying to solve a few simple high-ene ...

Article - Tommaso Dorigo - Dec 29 2009 - 4:13pm

Answers To Physics Questions

Two days ago I offered you three problems in experimental particle physics, of varied complexity. Three readers tried answering the test in the comments thread: a rather underwhelming turnaround, but what did I expect- we are deep in Christmas vacations af ...

Article - Tommaso Dorigo - Dec 28 2009 - 12:15pm

More Physics Questions

The turnaround of the three physics questions I offered a few days ago, to stimulate your neurons and extract you from the chocolate and alcohol flood caused by the usual string of Christmas parties and dinners, was rather scarce. Despite that, I wish to r ...

Article - Tommaso Dorigo - Dec 29 2009 - 11:29am

My Best And Worst Of 2009

Okay, the year is not over just yet, but it is already time for a little accounting of the traffic on this site in the course of the last eight-and-a-half months-that is, since I moved my blog to Scientific Blogging. For this year's summary I have bee ...

Article - Tommaso Dorigo - Dec 30 2009 - 6:01pm

Welcome To Hotel Boltzmann

“ Room for one please!” ...

Article - Johannes Koelman - Dec 31 2009 - 11:57am

Quote Of The Week

No, not a modification of the now classic "Say of the week" series. Rather, a quote from a very famous Physical Review article which is of relevance to a couple of questions I offered here and here this week: ...

Blog Post - Tommaso Dorigo - Dec 31 2009 - 9:05am