Archive for the ‘space’ category: Page 137
What if the fundamental “stuff” of the universe isn’t matter or energy, but information?
That’s the idea some theorists are pursuing as they search for ever-more elegant and concise descriptions of the laws that govern our universe. Could our universe, in all its richness and diversity, really be just a bunch of bits?
To understand the buzz over information, we have to start at the beginning: What is information?
Dec 12, 2023
Cosmic nuclear fission seen for 1st time in ‘incredibly profound’ discovery
Posted by Dan Breeden in categories: nuclear energy, space
“The only plausible way this can arise among different stars is if there is a consistent process operating during the formation of the heavy elements,” Mumpower said. “This is incredibly profound and is the first evidence of fission operating in the cosmos, confirming a theory we proposed several years ago.”
“As we’ve acquired more observations, the cosmos is saying, ‘hey, there’s a signature here, and it can only come from fission.’”
Neutron stars are created when massive stars reach the end of their fuel supplies necessary for intrinsic nuclear fusion processes, which means the energy that has been supporting them against the inward push of their own gravity ceases. As the outer layers of these dying stars are blown away, the stellar cores with masses between one and two times that of the sun collapse into a width of around 12 miles (20 kilometers).
Dec 12, 2023
Stephen Wolfram joins Brian Greene to explore whether the ultimate theory of the universe might emerge from a computationally simple framework
Posted by Dan Breeden in category: space
This program is part of the Big Ideas series, supported by the John Templeton Foundation.
Participant:
Stephen Wolfram.
Moderator:
Brian Greene.
Dec 12, 2023
The computational capacity of the universe
Posted by Dan Breeden in categories: computing, space
Dec 11, 2023
“First Light” — NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment Captures First Images of Mesosphere
Posted by Saúl Morales Rodriguéz in category: space
NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) represents a cutting-edge initiative in space research, focused on studying atmospheric gravity waves. These waves play a crucial role in the dynamics of Earth’s atmosphere, particularly in the upper layers like the mesosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere. AWE operates from its unique vantage point aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
One of the primary objectives of AWE is to observe and analyze atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) in the mesopause region, which is about 54 miles (87 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface. By studying these waves, AWE aims to deepen our understanding of how weather events on Earth’s surface can generate these waves and how they propagate through and affect the atmosphere’s higher regions. This research is vital for comprehending the broader impacts of AGWs on the ionosphere-thermosphere-mesosphere system, particularly in terms of space weather effects, which have implications for satellite operations and communication systems.
AWE is led by Ludger Scherliess at Utah State University in Logan, and it is managed by the Explorers Program Office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory built the AWE instrument and provides the mission operations center.
Philosophy of science.
We call it perception. We call it measurement. We call it analysis. But in the end it’s about how we take the world as it is, and derive from it the impression of it that we have in our minds.
We might have thought that we could do science “purely objectively” without any reference to observers or their nature. But what we’ve discovered particularly dramatically in our Physics Project is that the nature of us as observers is critical even in determining the most fundamental laws we attribute to the universe.
Dec 11, 2023
A Rare ‘Ring Of Fire’ Around Betelgeuse As Year’s Best ‘Shooting Stars’ Fall: The Night Sky This Week
Posted by Genevieve Klien in category: space
Each Monday, I pick out the northern hemisphere’s celestial highlights (mid-northern latitudes) for the week ahead.
Dec 11, 2023
Tencent’s futuristic new headquarters is twice the size of Apple’s
Posted by Gemechu Taye in categories: futurism, space
The office is no longer just a cubicle— but it’s also not a children’s playground.
Corporate giants often hold pride in their headquarters, its design, and its acclaim among contemporaries. Chinese tech giant Tencent is set to redefine this corporate landscape with plans for its new headquarters, Tencent Helix.
Continue reading “Tencent’s futuristic new headquarters is twice the size of Apple’s” »
Dec 10, 2023
The oldest stars in our galaxy make elements that aren’t yet on the periodic table
Posted by Genevieve Klien in categories: chemistry, space
Move over uranium, the Milky Way’s oldest stars have bigger and better elements to make.
A group of researchers from across the United States, Canada and Sweden have discovered ancient neutron stars might have created elements with atomic mass greater than 260.
With an atomic mass of 238, uranium is the heaviest naturally occurring element known on Earth, though others like plutonium have been found in trace amounts due to reactions in uranium deposits.
