Connect with us

Science

Stephen Hawking warns that our agressive ways will spell the end of us

blank

Published

on

stephen-hawking-human-agression

Although professor Stephen Hawking is considered to be one of the most intelligent people alive, not everyone appreciates the renown astrophysicist’s often bleak predictions for the future. Considering that life is stressful and depressing enough for a lot of people, I understand why some prefer to cover their ears whenever sad facts about the future of humanity are being uttered. However, blissful ignorance will only last for so long before being smacked in the face by reality. Therefore, I think it’s a good idea to listen to what Stephen Hawking has to say in spite of the fact that you may not necessarily like what you hear.

For example, professor Stephen Hawking recently warned us again that humanity must change its violent ways while even going as far as to say that failing to do so could spell the end of our species. This is definitely not something we haven’t heard before, but it’s good to be reminded every now again that several countries have weapons of mass destruction that are capable of wiping us all out. According to the Daily Mail, when asked about a shortcoming that he would change in humans, Stephen Hawking replied with: “The human failing I would most like to correct is aggression. There is rather a lot of it around. There always has been. It may have had survival advantage in caveman days, to get more food, territory or partner with whom to reproduce, but now it threatens to destroy us all. He also reminded us that: “A major nuclear war would be the end of civilization, and maybe the end of the human race.” A very pessimistic view of things, but one that we need to be aware of.

But Stephen Hawking also sees some hope for the future and thinks that we should now be focusing on space exploration. Travelling all the way to the Moon was definitely a major achievement for humanity, but it’s not enough. In case of an unfortunate world war or some other type of worldwide catastrophe we need to set our sights on another planet that we can colonize and live on if we want to ensure the future of the human race. Unsurprisingly, this planet will be Mars. Currently, it is estimated that the first people should set foot on the Red Planet sometime during the 2030s. Stephen Hawking sees space exploration and the colonization of other planets as a “life insurance” for us. The thought of people living Earth behind and heading towards other planets is a bit depressing, but it may turn out to be our only chance for survival in the long run.

Although George has many hobbies, he likes nothing more than to play around with cameras and other photography equipment.

Geology

The phenomenon of a magnetic avalanche caused by quantum processes, known as ‘Barkhausen noise’, has been observed for the first time

blank

Published

on

blank

Iron screws and other ferromagnetic materials consist of atoms with electrons that behave as miniature magnets. Typically, the magnets’ orientations are aligned within a specific region of the material, but they vary between different regions. Imagine groups of tourists in Times Square, eagerly gesturing towards the various billboards that surround them. However, with the application of a magnetic field, the spins of the magnets in the various regions align, resulting in the material becoming completely magnetized. It’s as if all the tourists suddenly synchronized their movements to point at the same sign.

The alignment of spins, however, does not occur instantaneously. Instead, when a magnetic field is present, neighboring regions, known as domains, interact with each other, causing changes to propagate unevenly throughout the material. Scientists often draw parallels between this phenomenon and the cascading of snow in an avalanche, where a single piece of snow initiates the movement, exerting force on neighboring pieces until the entire mountainside of snow is in motion, all heading in the same direction.

In 1919, Heinrich Barkhausen showcased the avalanche effect in magnets, providing a groundbreaking demonstration. Through the clever use of a coil and a magnetic material connected to a loudspeaker, it was demonstrated that these fluctuations in magnetism produce an audible crackling sound, now referred to as Barkhausen noise.

A recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that Barkhausen noise can be generated not just by conventional methods but also by quantum mechanical phenomena.

Experimental detection of quantum Barkhausen noise is a groundbreaking achievement. This research signifies a significant breakthrough in the field of physics and holds potential for future applications in the development of quantum sensors and electronic devices.

“Barkhausen noise is the result of the small magnets flipping together,” explains Christopher Simon, the lead author of the paper and a postdoctoral scholar in the lab of Thomas F. Rosenbaum, a professor of physics at Caltech, the president of the Institute, and the Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair.

“We are conducting a familiar experiment, but with a twist—in a quantum material.” We are observing that quantum effects can result in significant changes at a macroscopic level.

Typically, magnetic flips occur in a classical manner, through thermal activation. In this process, particles must temporarily acquire sufficient energy to overcome an energy barrier. However, the new study reveals that these flips can also happen through a process called quantum tunneling, which operates on a quantum level.

In the phenomenon of tunneling, particles have the ability to traverse an energy barrier by seemingly bypassing it altogether. If this effect could be applied to everyday objects, such as golf balls, it would be as if the golf ball effortlessly passed through a hill instead of having to ascend it to reach the other side.

blank

“In the quantum realm, the ball doesn’t need to traverse a hill as it transforms into a wave-like particle, with a portion already present beyond the hill,” explains Simon.

Furthermore, the latest research reveals a fascinating co-tunneling phenomenon, where clusters of tunneling electrons interact and coordinate to induce simultaneous flips in the direction of their spins.

“Traditionally, every individual mini avalanche, where clusters of spins flip, would occur independently,” explains co-author Daniel Silevitch, a research professor of physics at Caltech. “However, it has been discovered that, by means of quantum tunneling, two avalanches occur simultaneously.” This phenomenon arises from the interaction between two extensive collections of electrons, which communicate with each other and, as a consequence of their interactions, bring about these alterations. This unexpected co-tunneling effect quite surprised me.

Members of the team utilized a pink crystalline material known as lithium holmium yttrium fluoride, which was cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero (-273.15°C) for their experiments. They placed a coil around it, applied a magnetic field, and then observed small changes in voltage, similar to Barkhausen’s experiment in 1919.

The voltage spikes that are observed indicate the moments when clusters of electron spins change their magnetic orientations. When the groups of spins flip, one after the other, we can observe a series of voltage spikes known as the Barkhausen noise.

Through careful analysis of the noise, the researchers demonstrated the occurrence of a magnetic avalanche, even in the absence of classical effects. They demonstrated that these effects remained unaffected by variations in the material’s temperature. Through careful analysis, they reached the conclusion that quantum effects were the underlying cause of the significant transformations.

Scientists have found that these regions can hold an astonishing number of spins, far more than the rest of the crystal.

“We are observing this quantum behavior in materials containing an incredibly large number of spins.” Ensemblies of microscopic objects are all behaving in a coherent manner,” Rosenbaum says. “This work exemplifies the core focus of our lab: isolating and comprehending quantum mechanical effects.”

Researchers in Rosenbaum’s lab recently published another paper in PNAS that examines the fascinating connection between minute quantum effects and their influence on larger-scale phenomena. In the earlier study, scientists looked at the element chromium and showed how two different types of charge modulation—one involving ions and the other involving electrons—interact with each other at different length scales using quantum mechanics.

“Chromium has been a subject of study for quite some time,” remarks Rosenbaum, “yet only recently have we come to fully grasp this particular facet of quantum mechanics.” This is yet another instance of designing uncomplicated systems to uncover quantum phenomena that can be observed on a larger scale.

Continue Reading

Astronomy

Unexpected! The Japanese Lunar Lander SLIM successfully endures its second night of intense lunar activity

blank

Published

on

blank

The reports regarding the downfall of Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) are highly overstated. The SLIM mission successfully executed a lunar landing in late January, showcasing a notable level of precision in landing on an unfamiliar celestial body. Regrettably, the touchdown was somewhat uneven, introducing complexities to the overall operation. However, it is evident that the technology was sufficiently robust to endure the significant decrease in temperature encountered during the harsh lunar night, not just once but twice!

Upon landing on January 19, SLIM’s disadvantaged position rendered it incapable of utilizing its solar panels for power generation. Although the position was regrettable, it is worth noting that SLIM was making progress in the correct direction. As the Moon underwent orbital motion around the Earth, the Sun initiated its illumination on the inclined surface where the solar panels were situated, thereby supplying the necessary energy.

The Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) announced in late February that SLIM had successfully endured its inaugural lunar night. Now, it has been reported that the robust inclined lander has once again achieved this feat, although its future remains unknown.

The previous evening, #SLIM informed us that the spacecraft had successfully crossed the lunar night for the second time. According to Jaxa’s report on the SLIM Twitter account, due to the bright sun and the equipment’s high temperature, we only captured a few images of the typical scenery using the navigation camera.

Based on the collected data, it has been observed that certain temperature sensors and unused battery cells are experiencing malfunctions. However, the bulk of functionalities that were operational during the initial lunar night were observed to persist even after the subsequent lunar night.

We can hope that SLIM will make it through a third night because good things tend to happen in groups of three. Whether it does or not, it has far exceeded our expectations. A smart lander for investigating the moon is what SLIM stands for. The point of it was to show that it is possible to land very precisely on another world. The goal was to soft-land just 330 feet (100 meters) from a certain target spot. From what we know now, it looks like it landed only 55 meters (180 feet) from where it was supposed to.

The moon’s night may have missed SLIM, but it did kill Odysseus, which also landed on its side. It’s not a new trend that all the cool people who live on the moon are doing this. This is proof of how hard it is to soft-land anywhere, even on the moon. Odysseus was the first US lander to land on the Moon in 50 years. It was also the first private lander that didn’t crash-land on the moon’s surface. It was owned by intuitive machines, which said it did not wake up a few days ago.

Continue Reading

Astronomy

The upcoming Total Solar Eclipse next month may feature uncommon vibrant pink streamers

blank

Published

on

blank

There exists a rationale for individuals actively seeking out solar eclipses across the globe, as it is evident that this occurrence is not a universally seen phenomenon. However, it is important to note that every solar eclipse exhibits unique characteristics. In the case of the April 8 North American complete solar eclipse, it is anticipated that several additional elements would be present, such as a profusion of red, pink, and potentially white streamers and loops.

The forthcoming solar eclipse will have a longer duration than the majority of others and will take place during a period when multiple planets, and potentially a comet, are present in the sky, enhancing the overall spectacle. Nevertheless, the most notable characteristic of this eclipse is its proximity to the solar maximum, which coincides with the peak likelihood of flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs).

Solar storms are unpredictable, typically occurring over a week in advance. Therefore, it is now uncertain whether there will be any activity when the sun is obscured by the moon, which presents an opportunity to observe its corona. Nevertheless, it is evident from statistical data that the probability is significantly greater at present compared to the previous complete solar eclipse in the United States in 2017, where solar activity experienced a fall from a peak that was far lower than the current one.

blank

The phenomenon of solar maximum is a consequence of the 22-year periodicity of the Sun’s magnetic field, wherein two distinct maxima manifest approximately 11 years apart. Currently, the magnetic field is entangled, resulting in the formation of sunspots, flares, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that give rise to auroras.

Prominences can be observed at the Sun’s periphery even during periods of low solar activity, either through the use of hydrogen alpha filters or when the Moon obstructs a significant portion of the Sun’s light. Nevertheless, on this occasion, they ought to be somewhat longer and more plentiful, resembling streamers directed away from the Sun, frequently exhibiting hues of red and pink. If a flare is properly timed, it is possible to observe its upward movement from the Sun. Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are infrequent; however, they can remain visible for extended periods. Even if they happen before to the eclipse, they can still be observed.

blank

There were a lot of nice prominences during the 2023 solar eclipse that happened off the coast of Australia. And the eclipse was a lot shorter than it is now. The sun was also not as busy at that time.

There have been prominences that were as long as the sun’s width. Most prominences are longer than the Earth’s diameter. Most of the time, one end is attached to the sun, making it look like a streamer. But sometimes it looks like an arch, with both ends attached to sunspot regions.

Some people don’t know what causes prominences, but they are made up of hydrogen and helium, just like the sun, and magnetic fields hold them up against gravity. Rarer coronal loops can look like a curved prominence, but they are much hotter.

Since prominences go through the hydrogen alpha transition, they give off light in the red part of the spectrum. When mixed with white light from normal heat emissions, though, it can make things look pink.

blank

All of these phenomena are distinct from the typical occurrences of eclipses, such as the Diamond Ring effect, which is triggered by a thin slither of unobstructed Sun, and Baily’s Beads, which become apparent when valleys between lunar highlands permit the passage of sunlight.

Continue Reading

Trending