By Sebastian Anthony — ExtremeTech
Two of Europe’s largest companies, Airbus and Safran, are joining forces to fight SpaceX’s attempts to steal away their majority share of the lucrative commercial space launch business. This is one of the first times that one of the larger, entrenched, government-backed aerospace consortia has deigned to raise a quizzical eyebrow in acknowledgement at the presence of SpaceX — but it certainly won’t be the last. SpaceX, after a series of cheap, successful space launches, is now starting to make waves: After decades of expensive, monopolistic control of space travel, companies like Boeing, Lockheed, and Airbus are finally going to have to slash their costs to stay competitive. This is how the era of cheap space travel begins.
Written By: Jason Dorrier — Singularity Hub
In a recently released vision of the future, Thomson Reuters analysts predict solar power will be the dominant form of energy by 2025.
Further, the report states genomic testing and manipulation will be common and lead to better prevention and treatment of diseases. Cancer treatments will be more targeted and less toxic. The world’s infrastructure will be smart, connected, and responsive to our needs. We’ll no longer grapple with food shortages and price volatility. And scientists will begin experimenting with teleportation of stuff, if not humans.
Get Inside Whisper’s Secret Economy
Posted in software
By Austin Carr — Fast Company
Michael Heyward is scouring the web for military secrets, though not of the Julian Assange variety. Over black tea at a dark hotel bar in downtown Los Angeles, Heyward and I sit next to each other, noses to a laptop as he searches on Whisper, the mobile service he created that lets anyone share their innermost secrets anonymously. He’s using an internal company tool called Predict to dig up Whispers on specific topics–in this instance, about soldiers who are agonizing over their sexual preferences. Heyward zeroes in on locations like Kandahar and Bagram Airfield, in Afghanistan, soon landing on a Whisper from a bisexual Marine near Kabul who is afraid to come out to his platoon. “This guy thinks he’s the only person on the planet with this emotion, but there’s no reason he should feel alone–tons of people are like him,” says Heyward. “We created this place so you can connect with people. It’s like a Wikipedia of human emotion.”
Amazon Asks FAA For Permission To Test Its Delivery Drones http://techcrunch.com/2014/07/10/amazon-asks-faa-for-permiss…ry-drones/
How DARPA’s Brain Chip Could Restore Lost Memories http://www.fastcompany.com/3032898/healthware/how-darpas-bra…t-memories
DARPA developing memory-restoring neural prosthesis http://www.cnet.com/news/darpa-developing-memory-restoring-neural-prosthesis/
BBC: The ultimate comeback: Bringing the dead back to life http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140704-i-bring-the-dead-back-to-life
Use of Hydrogels to Replace Cartilage http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=11099
ACCENTURE: Healthcare IT: Top Five Digital Trends Fueling Disruption in Healthcare http://www.accenture.com/no-en/Pages/insight-top-five-digita…sf27731324
THE GUARDIAN: Unprecedented new powers in surveillance bill, campaigners warn http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/13/surveillance-bill-new-powers
Kerry asks Netanyahu to avoid further escalation in Gaza http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.604845
THE ECONOMIST: The internet of things (to be hacked) http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21606829-hooking-up-ga…ust-not-be
THE ECONOMIST: The ghosts and the machine http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/2160586…generation
The Army’s Bioprinted Skin Is Almost Ready to Be Used on Soldiers http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-armys-bioprinted-skin-i…n-soldiers
THE ECONOMIST: German lessons http://www.economist.com/news/business/21606834-many-countri…an-lessons
How to Build Leonardo Da Vinci’s Catapult http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to-plans/woodworkin…19#slide-1
Brazilian Air Force F-5 Tiger jets will ensure World Cup 2014 final’s security http://theaviationist.com/2014/07/13/world-cup-security-f-5/…um=twitter
FORBES: $10,000 Is On Offer For Anyone Who Can Hack A Tesla Car http://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2014/07/09/10000-…ium=social
REUTERS: U.S., Iran say disputes remain in nuclear talks as deadline looms http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/13/us-iran-nuclear-idUSKBN0FI0B120140713
REUTERS: Singing familiar songs may help prompt Alzheimer’s patients to speak http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/11/us-alzheimers-sing…QE20140711
REUTERS: Female Yahoo executive sued for sexual harassment http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/12/us-yahoo-lawsuit-idUSKBN0FH01Z20140712
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: Did Buzz Aldrin really see a UFO? Technically, yes. http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2014/0710/Did-Buzz-Aldrin-r…lly-yesTHE
Dear President Obama: Secure The Border Now Or Risk Civil War http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-marshall-crotty/democrat…75069.html
Optimal You http://military-fitness.military.com/2014/07/optimal-you.html
Capgemini, Accenture, HAVI and Entercoms make up the first-ever Winner’s Circle for Supply Chain BPO — http://www.horsesforsources.com/supply-chain-svs-blueprint_0…d7x42.dpuf
Here’s A Crash-Proof Drone That Can Fly Almost Anywhere — Even Through Wreckage http://www.businessinsider.com/gimball-roll-cage-drone-2014-7#ixzz37NpGF57I
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Chinese Businessman Is Charged in Plot to Steal U.S. Military Data http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/12/business/chinese-businessm…y&_r=0
BBC: Putin signs Argentina nuclear deals on Latin America tour http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-28261746
FORBES: Can A 50-Person Startup Threaten Oracle, IBM, And Microsoft? http://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2014/07/11/can-a-50-p…microsoft/
FAA to Begin Evaluation of Unleaded Fuels for GA http://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/eaa-news-and-aviation-news/eaa/201…els-for-ga
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: New Zeppelins: Giants of the Skies Return http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-new-zeppelins-giants-of-the-skies-1405094514
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Intel’s Answer to iPad: Cheap Tablets http://online.wsj.com/articles/for-intel-chinese-city-of-she…99?mod=LS1
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: U.S. Accuses Chinese Executive of Hacking to Mine Military Data http://on.wsj.com/1oTP41u
MONEY: Americans Want to Age in Place, and Your Town Isn’t Ready http://time.com/money/2973542/americans-want-to-age-in-place…snt-ready/
MIT researchers build drones to light up photo shoots http://bit.ly/1q8CgcO
TIME: Building a Better Bullet http://time.com/2979962/pentagon-selfguided-bullet-innovative-sniper-weapon/
TIME: Kerry Warns ‘Significant Gaps’ Remain on Nuclear Deal With Iran http://time.com/2979517/john-kerry-iran-vienna-nuclear-agreement/
DIGITAL TRENDS: AT&T vs. Verizon vs. T-Mobile: Whose family plan will save you the most?
Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-family-plan-us-carriers/#ixzz37OCkZO9l
TIME: Apple: Your Data Is Safe With Us, China http://time.com/2978677/apple-china-security/
Lifeboat Foundation Worldwide Ambassador White Swan Update and Published Amazon Author by Andres Agostini at www.amazon.com/author/agostini
Or: Relinquish your privacy if you want to live longer
At first, it may appear strange to suggest that living longer has something to do with using pseudonyms online. However, it is true. I am suggesting that people who are well known online, those who are hyper-connected, and those who facilitate others to have access to relevant and meaningful information, are more likely to live longer.
It works like this: Humans are continually evolving and adapting to their environment. Our current environment is one of technology, digital communication, intense information-sharing and hyper-connection. Within this society we are exposed to vast amounts of both trivial and relevant information, which reaches our brain and may alter our basic biology causing a series of beneficial cellular and molecular changes which promote healthy lifespan (http://benthamscience.com/journal/abstracts.php?journalID=ca...=122290").
Looking at this from a different perspective, it is known that agents which are useful to the collective are retained longer within the system (http://xxx.tau.ac.il/abs/1402.6910). This can be true of any agent (i.e. any autonomous actor) such as a computer node, a human neuron, or an entire human. In this case, humans are digitally connected to other humans within a higher entity called the Global Brain (http://hplusmagazine.com/2011/03/16/francis-heylighen-on-the…l-brain/). The more well-connected you are, and the more useful you are to the evolution of the Global Brain, the more likely it is that you will be retained by the system, i.e. you will live longer within this system.
It follows, that in order this to happen you need to be hyper-connected and share meaningful and insightful information.
First, in order to hyper-connect you need to:
• Develop a strong social media base, in diverse forums
• Stay continually visible on line
• Be respected and valued in the virtual environment
• Increase the number of your connections both in virtual and in real terms.
• Increase the unity of your connections by using only one (user)name for all environments and across all platforms.
Second, in order to facilitate the flow of meaningful information you need to:
• Avoid spending too much time on trivial use of internet platforms
• Share your thoughts with your peers
• Create and share meaningful information that requires action
• Don’t worry too much about privacy
The issue of privacy is contentious. However, it is also grossly overrated. As long as you stay on the right side of the law, you have nothing to fear. If the CIA knows how many cups of coffee you have each day, or if your photo has been shared by others (for legal purposes), or if the world knows that your birthday is today, this is hardly important to anyone. The only limited area where privacy becomes relevant is when it is abused for criminal or illegal purposes. But, let’s face it: how frequently does this happen? It is like arguing for the suppression of knife sales in case a knife is used to injure you.
As we develop more technologies and become increasingly more involved with them, our society and culture will change, and this will have a direct impact upon our biology. It is inevitable that this will eventually lead to an increasing lifespan, in order to accommodate basic evolutionary principles.
.#democracy. #you. #indie. #webcontent. #contentmarketing. @HJBentham.
Ever wanted to be the subject of international news, or to be recognized as an expert in your field? In the age of the web, both are relatively easy for anyone to accomplish – and it really matters. Thanks to digital culture, equal opportunity is becoming an unstoppable reality rather than an empty promise from ultimately self-centered authorities and companies.
Everyone knows the internet transforms humanity. Well-known YouTubers such as TheAmazingAtheist have depended on this transformative power of the web for their fame and popularity. It takes geography out of the human equation, and makes it possible to share ideas with ever vaster and more diverse audiences. In many ways, such beautiful communication discredits the idea that humans have to reside in arbitrarily delineated areas of land called states. But did you know you can easily make headlines as a result of your internet influence, and within mere months?
What I have come to realize is that over a period of six months, between March and September 2013, I easily acquired the means to become the subject of international news through the internet. And I accomplished this purely with a robust personal online publishing strategy. Reflecting on how I got this far with nothing more than a cheap netbook resting on a table, I have divided the process for making headlines online into five distinct “phases”. These phases, which I am eager to share with everyone, can easily be imitated by anyone with the bare minimum of a computer and an internet connection.
Keep in mind that I already tried blogging and “vlogging” for two years on YouTube, before I ultimately went for the route of legitimate online publishing. The truth is that blogging is simply inefficient and slow to succeed. It is something of a trap, because it is so easy to get started, but the fact is that it is almost impossible to grow a good readership through blogging alone. Fortunately, there are countless online publications in desperate search of writers with nothing more than comments worthy to be added to the discussion. To really harness the power of the internet, you need to harness the reach of people and businesses already thriving on the internet.
Phase 1
The first phase I identified on the road to effective online publishing consisted of finding nascent or seldom-visited online publications and submitting work to them. There are plenty of them that will take almost any submissions, which really gives new authors the chance to prove themselves. Recently, my own webzine, ClubOfINFO, has opened up to take submissions ranging from sci-fi stories to any meaningful commentary on technology and society.
Phase 2
The second phase involves going to the publications designed to empower everyone through the web, like openDemocracy or Infoshop News. It is at this phase that all online writers discover how technology has given them a unique gift to prove they are a force to be reckoned with.
Phase 3
In the third phase, if you are seeking to become a respected source on your subject, it is wise to use your background gained in the previous phases to submit articles to the leading magazine on your subject. After some months writing reviews and articles at a leading subject source like BeliefNet (that would be the best choice if your area of interest is religious belief) it is possible to earn recognition as a respected source of commentary in even further-reaching online media.
Phase 4
In the fourth and hardest phase, you approach an international news source with an op-ed. This can be difficult for a person who has not completed the previous phases, or if you insist on being published immediately at one of the very top news sources in the world. However, if you have the evidence to prove you are an outspoken online personality after successfully following the above strategy, an op-ed is very likely to be accepted. The real reward from this step is that media often quote their own experts in headlines, so it is actually possible that you can make your first international headline within mere months of becoming a writer on the web.
Phase 5
The fifth phase is all yours. Adapt it carefully to whatever you have set out to accomplish through your online publishing campaign. Successful online publishing can be used to amass an audience ahead of some other effort, such as promoting your personal website, creating more media opportunities in the future, or gaining a flow of potential customers at your own online business.
I followed the steps described above successfully, which is why I feel it is time to share them in detail. Better, I have more recently put together a detailed guidebook to teach these phases in their full depth and guarantee success for anyone else hoping to make their opinion matter through the web. This is a proven strategy, which produces very real results when completed. What I would like to see is everyone else recognizing this opportunity to excel and express themselves, rather than for this strategy to remain mine alone.
REUTERS: German court rules Motorola infringes antenna patent http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/09/us-motorola-patent…UB20140709
REUTERS: Senate Intelligence Committee approves cybersecurity bill http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/08/us-usa-cybersecuri…LG20140708
THE ATLANTIC: When These Experts Savage US. Drone Policy, It’s Time to Worry www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/07/when-even-these…ry/374132/
THE ATLANTIC: The Age of Erasable Books http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/07/how-mo…es/373956/
THE ATLANTIC: The Military Doesn’t Want You to Quit Facebook and Twitter http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/07/the-mi…er/373918/
THE GUARDIAN: Edward Snowden applies to extend stay in Russia, lawyer says http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/09/edward-snowden-…tay-permit
THE GUARDIAN: Amazon and Hachette take ebooks battle into public domain http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jul/09/amazon-hachette…tle-public
THE GUARDIAN: Electric ‘Boris cars’ are coming to London – how do they work in Paris? http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/jul/09/electric-boris…is-autolib
CNN: The new plague: Computer viruses that extort you http://money.cnn.com/2014/07/09/technology/security/ransomware/index.html
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: An operating room ‘black box’ the future of surgical procedure www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/black…e19521548/
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Samsung feeling the heat as cheaper competition catches up http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/internatio…e19518640/
THE INDEPENDENT: ‘Mohammed Raghead’ – the name the FBI were giving to Muslim-American ‘Joe Bloggs’ http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/moh…94332.html
THE INDEPENDENT: Alan Bond: The British engineer says he will revolutionise space travel – and he’s building the rocket to do it http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/alan-bond-the-briti…87165.html
THE INDEPENDENT: NSA reportedly tracking any internet users who research privacy software online http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/new…85250.html
THE INDEPENDENT: American drone policy could create a state of ‘perpetual war’, warns top US military officials http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/ame…68395.html
THE TELEGRAPH: AI extends its unbroken record on World Cup predictions http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10956044/AI-exten…tions.html
THE SCIENTIST: Another Alzheimer’s Blood Test? http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/40452/…ood-Test-/
THE SCIENTIST: Protein Helps Cells Adapt—or Die http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/40418/…pt-or-Die/
THE SCIENTIST: Mutations Pervade Mitochondrial DNA http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/40436/…drial-DNA/
AMERICAN SCIENTIST: Engines Powered by the Forces Between Atoms http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/feature/2014/4/engin…ween-atoms
AMERICAN SCIENTIST: Why Some Animals Forgo Reproduction in Complex Societies http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/feature/2014/4/why-s…-societies
AMERICAN SCIENTIST: Belles lettres Meets Big Data http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/pub/2014/4/belles-lettres-meets-big-data
AMERICAN SCIENTIST: Precision Medicine Takes Aim at Cancer http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/pub/2014/4/precision…-at-cancer
NATURE: LHC upgrades could reveal whether Higgs boson is ‘standard’ http://www.nature.com/news/lhc-upgrades-could-reveal-whether…rd-1.15478
NATURE: The malignant melanoma landscape http://www.nature.com/nrd/journal/v13/n7/full/nrd4326.html
YAHOO FINANCE: 10 brands that will disappear in 2015 http://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-brands-disappear-2015-172428388.html
YAHOO FINANCE: China’s Wanda to build $900 million complex in Chicago http://finance.yahoo.com/news/chinas-wanda-build-900-million…04719.html
BBC: Bell Labs celebrates net speed record over copper lines http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-28233982
BBC: LG unveils child-tracking Kizon device http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-28230841
BBC: Syrian conflict: Key sarin ingredients sold by UK firms http://www.bbc.com/news/world-28229411
You’ll be able to learn a whole language eating a pill in the future http://sploid.gizmodo.com/a-history-of-the-future-or-a-journ…ign=buffer
Microgrids offer cities resiliency, reliability, accessibility http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20140709-microgrid…essibility
THE NEW YORK TIMES: European Effort for Computer-Simulated Brain Draws Fire http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/09/science/european-effort-fo…y&_r=0
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: As Moguls Descend on Sun Valley, Let the Deal-Making Commence http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/07/09/as-moguls-descend-on-…e/?mod=LS1
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: My Toothbrush Is Smarter Than Yours: Oral-B SmartSeries Bluetooth Toothbrush Review http://online.wsj.com/articles/my-toothbrush-is-smarter-than…D_topRight
THE WASHINGTON POST: The Switchboard: Report claims NSA, FBI secretly monitored American Muslim activists and academics http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/07/09…academics/
THE WASHINGTON POST: Chinese cyberspies have hacked Middle East experts at major U.S. think tanks http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/07/07…ink-tanks/
BUSINESSWEEK: The Quest to Build the World’s Fastest Bike http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-07-08/the-…stest-bike
BUSINESSWEEK: Wall Street’s Lessons for Tinder and the Rest of Silicon Valley http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-07-07/wall…con-valley
BUSINESS INSIDER: BUSINESSWEEK: Wall Street’s Lessons for Tinder and the Rest of Silicon Valley www.businessweek.com/articles/2014–07-07/wall-streets-lesson…con-valley
BUSINESS INSIDER: Bacteria Could Provide A Powerful New Way To Fight Fat And Depression http://www.businessinsider.com/probiotics-can-make-you-skinn…2014-6
FORBES: The Top Paying STEM Jobs For Recent Grads http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathryndill/2014/07/03/the-top-p…ent-grads/
FORBES: How Artificial Intelligence Could Change Your Business http://www.forbes.com/sites/centurylink/2014/06/30/how-artif…lift_polar
INDIA TIMES: Nasa Builds World’s First Flying Observatory http://www.indiatimes.com/technology/science/nasa-builds-wor…59897.html
ACCENTURE: Growing Pains for Private Health Insurance Exchanges http://www.accenture.com/us-en/Pages/insight-growing-pains-p…sf27295418
TIME: Dish Network Slams Potential Comcast-Time Warner Cable Merger http://time.com/2970438/dish-comcast-time-warner/
TIME: Here’s What John Kerry Can Learn from Hillary About Israel’s New Crisis http://time.com/2969852/hillary-clinton-john-kerry-barack-obama-israel-hamas/
DW-TV: Man down: robots saving soldiers http://www.dw.de/man-down-robots-saving-soldiers/g-17738124
DW-TV: Seeing less red: how new luminescence could give us LED light like the sun http://www.dw.de/seeing-less-red-how-new-luminescence-could-…a-17737550
DW-TV: CERN: The quest for dark matter http://www.dw.de/cern-the-quest-for-dark-matter/a-17703089
MIT finger device reads to the blind in real time http://phys.org/news/2014-07-mit-finger-device-real.html
NASA finds friction from tides could help distant earths survive, and thrive http://phys.org/news/2014-07-nasa-friction-tides-distant-earths.html
No extra mutations in modified stem cells, study finds http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-07-extra-mutations-stem-cells.html
Microglia: the movers and shakers of the brain http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-07-microglia-movers-shakers-brain.html
Biologists link sexual selection and placenta formation http://phys.org/news/2014-07-biologists-link-sexual-placenta-formation.html
ENGINEERING: Airbus Receives Patent for Windowless Cockpits http://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles…kpits.aspx
ENGINEERING: Traffic lights: There’s a Better Way http://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles…r-Way.aspx
ENGINEERING: The new atomic age: Building Smaller, Greener Electrons www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles/Articl…onics.aspx
Lifeboat Foundation Worldwide Ambassador White Swan Update and Published Amazon Author by Andres Agostini at href=“www.amazon.com/author/agostini” target=“_blank”>www.amazon.com/author/agostini
It’s time we conserve the building blocks of life. http://ensia.com/voices/endangered-elements/
The human brain’s remarkably low power consumption, and how computers might mimic its efficiency http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/185984-the-human-brains-r…efficiency
NASA’s new astronaut-replacing robots, powered by Google Tango smartphones, launch into space this week http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/185991-nasas-new-astronau…-this-week
Foxconn is attempting to replace its human workers with thousands of robots http://www.extremetech.com/electronics/185960-foxconn-is-att…-of-robots
Nanoparticles breach blood-brain barrier as possible Alzheimer’s treatment http://www.fiercedrugdelivery.com/story/nanoparticles-breach…u8.twitter
MIT, MicroCHIPS develop remote-controlled contraceptive with on-off delivery http://www.fiercedrugdelivery.com/story/mit-microchips-devel…;07-08
Unraveling atomic-scale edge structure of nanoscale graphene islands http://m.phys.org/news/2014-07-unraveling-atomic-scale-e…phene.html
The Astronomer Who Wanted to Rearrange the Solar System, Using Nukes http://io9.com/how-to-colonize-the-solar-system-using-nukes-1575887177
REUTERS: Former New Orleans Mayor Nagin gets 10 years in corruption case http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/09/us-usa-neworleans-…RD20140709
REUTERS: Apple loses China patent case, separate suit against Apple continues http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/09/us-apple-china-idUSKBN0FE0DR20140709
Lifeboat Foundation Worldwide Ambassador White Swan Update and Published Amazon Author by Andres Agostini at www.amazon.com/author/agostini
To elder children and young adults, it is a bonanza since everything becomes transparent. The “ugly” dependency of the speed of light on the local pull of gravity – that it is slowed in the vicinity of the sun (Shapiro) and comes to a standstill at the horizon of a black hole (Oppenheiumer) – is gone since the distances travelled are proportionally enlarged. Simultaneously, the so far assumed to be added-on expansion speed of the universe ceases to be an option so that the “Big Bang” is no longer a physical reality. A new freedom – a vast new spatial reality to roam – opened itself up.
The same liberation has almost the opposite effect on slightly older young people – those who have to pass an exam or defend a thesis in a physical discipline. They are at a loss as to what still to believe and defend. Most textbooks have become obsolete. How discuss the new situation with Stephen Hawking, for example, or with CERN? Most importantly: How reconcile it with Einstein’s own work?
The latter job is a joy. A renaissance of the young Einstein – of the three years of his miraculous period ranging from 1905 until late 1907 – follows. These years were fueled by the universal constancy of the speed of light c in the vacuum as is well known.
What about the famous “Einstein equation” of late 1915, however: Has it become obsolete since its c is not a global but only a local constant? The equation only needs a re-scaling. The “too short” spatial distances for the elongated light travelling times just get proportionally stretched. The “Shapiro time delay” is now accompanied by a space dilation (“Shapiro-Cook space dilation”) and the infinite temporal distance to the horizon of a black hole is accompanied by an equally infinite spatial distance valid from outside.
The oldest and most important solution to the Einstein equation – the Schwarzschild metric – exists already in a correct stretched-out version. Only the full Einstein equation itself still waits to be written down explicitly in the correct form by a daring newcomer. Alternatively, Roy Kerr – author of the famous “Kerr metric” for a rotating black hole – may be willing to to accomplish the re-writing task for the Einstein equation which will then reveal a whole new physics.
Does the successful repair of a flaw that had gone undetected for a century (• really need to be called a “catastrophe”? The opposite is the case. One sobering consequence also follows, however: When even the “hardest science” – physics – could go awry for a whole century, a new humility is called for in physics. The strongest young generation of history is now at the ready aided by the no longer distant young Einstein.
Acknowledgment: I thank the three Universities of the Normandy for the undeserved honor bestowed in Le Havre on my chaos work done in the footsteps of Jim Yorke who, together with Celso Grebogi and Ron Chen, was most deservedly honored there. For J.O.R.
(• http://eujournal.org/index.php/esj/article/view/2608/2469
The Daily Galaxy
The vast reaches of empty space between galaxies are bridged by tendrils of hydrogen and helium, which can be used as a precise “light meter.” In a recent study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, a team of scientists finds that the light from known populations of galaxies and quasars is not nearly enough to explain observations of intergalactic hydrogen. The difference is a stunning 400 percent.
“The most exciting possibility is that the missing photons are coming from some exotic new source, not galaxies or quasars at all,” said Neal Katz a co-author from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. For example, the mysterious dark matter, which holds galaxies together but has never been seen directly, could itself decay and ultimately be responsible for this extra light.