Black holes and neutrinos, but not together

Black holes and their weird properties (from Symmetry magazine)

 http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/black-holes

Are neutrinos and anti neutrinos the same particle? (Again, from Symmetry magazine, how, what's the word I'm looking for?)

http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/is-the-neutrino-its-own-antiparticle

I'll offer some commentary on these articles in a future post.

Physics for the snowbound

This week marks the fifth time in my 21 years of teaching that I have had an entire week of school cancelled due to weather and snow. We have about 26 inches (66 cm) of snow outside and it has made the roads treacherous and now the sidewalks are impassible. And now I have heard that tomorrow (Friday) will be our fifth day in a row of no school. So that means that our planned snow days are used, and any more days off will have to made up. Hmm.

At least the internet works! 

Babylonian mathematics was 1500 years ahead of others.

http://www.space.com/31765-ancient-babylonians-tracked-jupiter-with-math.html?cmpid=514648

Archival film footage from CERN from 1961!

http://cern.ch/go/FJb9

And finally, Quantum physics themed short stories. They are actually quite good - check them out.

http://bit.ly/1OL9kyD

Quantum magnetic loops???

Perhaps the most fascinating news that I have heard lately is that of scientists using magnetic fields to tie particles in loops. I don't even know what that means yet, but it sounds absurdly interesting. And I do like the absurd.

My son and I have really been into the Mythbusters this season, even as they end their show. I predict that Adam will continue to have a TV presence, and Jamie will disappear into his workshop, never to be heard from again.  The Mythbusters, as well as other people at Discovery channel, have been working on content for a virtual reality app for phones.  Instead of watching a screen that is the size of you device, you can turn and point your device to view their show in a 360 degree circle.  Very cool.

To round it out today, I was dipping into the past this weekend to listen to a lot of David Bowie. I am not poetic enough to really say much about him, other than he was an original and will be missed. Okay, one more thing about Bowie - he was three years ahead of grunge music.

CNN tribute to David Bowie

Ground control to Major Tom...


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So much news

I am doing a news blast here with many articles that I have collected, and some that I have yet to read. Enjoy, and send me a message if you really like one of them.

Planetary Exploration Timelines: A Look Ahead to 2016

What could dark matter be?

Closest Earth-size Alien Planet Found, May Be a Venus Twin

Are We Living in a Multiverse?

10 ExoPlanets that could host alien life