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May 27, 2022

Could the Double-Slit Experiment Finally be Solved?

Posted by in categories: particle physics, quantum physics

The famous double-slit experiment–a now classic showcase of how both light and matter are able to behave as both waves, and particles in their “classical” physical definition–seems almost like magic to many of us.

Because of this unusual function of our physical universe, the double-slit experiment has intrigued physicists for decades, as it suggests the possibility of multiple universes or weird quantum events. However, only recently have researchers at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) found a way to fully validate this experiment, using a particular measurement method on the particle.

May 27, 2022

A ‘meteor storm’ of 1,000 shooting stars per hour may light up the skies over North America next week

Posted by in category: space

Ready to embrace some meteoric uncertainty?

The Tau Herculids meteor shower may light up the skies over North America on May 30 and 31. Or it may not. There’s a chance we might pass through the thickest part of the comet fragment that is creating the debris, in which case the night skies will be filled with shooting stars.

May 27, 2022

Practical Power Beaming Gets Real

Posted by in category: energy

A century later, Nikola Tesla’s dream comes true.

May 27, 2022

Space Force rolls out cybersecurity standards for commercial providers of satellite services

Posted by in categories: business, cybercrime/malcode, government

WASHINGTONThe Space Systems Command on May 26 rolled out a new process to assess the cybersecurity of commercial satellite operators that do business with the Defense Department.

Under the Infrastructure Asset Pre-Approval program, or IA-Pre, commercial suppliers of satellite-based services are evaluated based on their cybersecurity practices and systems. Those suppliers that pass the government’s checklist are then placed on a pre-approved list and will not be required to complete lengthy cybersecurity questionnaires for each individual contract proposal.

“Our office will begin accepting IA-Pre applications for a limited number of assets to perform assessments,” said Jared Reece, program analyst at the Space Systems Command’s commercial services systems office.

May 27, 2022

Early Sound Exposure in the Womb Shapes the Auditory System

Posted by in category: neuroscience

Summary: Muffled sounds experienced in the womb prime the brain’s ability to interpret some sounds and may be key for auditory development.

Source: MIT

Inside the womb, fetuses can begin to hear some sounds around 20 weeks of gestation. However, the input they are exposed to is limited to low-frequency sounds because of the muffling effect of the amniotic fluid and surrounding tissues.

May 27, 2022

DuckDuckGo in hot water over hidden tracking agreement with Microsoft

Posted by in category: futurism

Microsoft’s trackers work, while others are being blocked.


DuckDuckGo browser now allows Microsoft trackers, but others are being blocked.

May 27, 2022

Visualizing U.S. Exports

Posted by in category: economics

After China, the U.S. is the next largest exporter of goods in the world, shipping out $1.8 trillion worth of goods in 2021—an increase of 23% over the previous year.

Of course, that massive number doesn’t tell the whole story. The U.S. economy is multifaceted, with varying levels of trade activity taking place all across the nation.

Using the latest data on international trade from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, we’ve visualized the value of America’s goods exports by state.

May 27, 2022

The X-15 Hit Mach 6.7 (Faster Than The SR-71 Blackbird)

Posted by in categories: education, space

While the SR-71 Blackbird remains the world’s fastest air-breathing aircraft, the rocket-powered X-15 has its own richly deserved place in the aviation history record books: on October 3, 1967, U.S. Air Force test pilot William “Pete” Knight became the fastest flying pilot ever when he achieved a speed of Mach 6.7, a record that has stood for nearly 55 years.

The Baby Steps Before that “One Small Step for Man…”

As if that one particular superlative weren’t impressive enough, the X-15 helped make history in other ways: before Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon, he was taught to fly the X-15 to the edge of space by then-Colonel Chuck Yeager, who, of course, made history in his own right as the first man to break the sound barrier whilst flying the first of the “X” planes, t he Bell X-1.

May 27, 2022

Twitter shareholders sue Musk, claim he sought to drive down stock price

Posted by in categories: economics, Elon Musk, engineering, sustainability, transportation

All I can say is that I hope his self indulgence for his favorite ☆HOBBY☆ — Twitter itself — doesn’t sabotage the interplanetary future he’s defined and actually begun to to successfully realize, doing so against all odds in so many fields, cas diverse as science, engineering, economics, politics, and the recent history and the seeming decline in public enthusiasm, funding, and any sort of clear direction. He didn’t just subvert those roadblocks, he OBLITERATED them. SPECTACULARLY.

All that progress and innovation can and WILL be undone in seconds if he makes himself into an allie of a republican party that has abandoned truth, abandoned science, and abandoned every semblance of honor, loyalty, and reason.

A republican party that has abandoned Democracy ITSELF.

Continue reading “Twitter shareholders sue Musk, claim he sought to drive down stock price” »

May 27, 2022

‘Brain-on-a-Chip’ Technology Advances Toward a New Form of Drug Screening

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

The Stem Cell Reports paper demonstrated the capability to grow and differentiate cortical neurons — known to be responsible for a majority of higher brain function — into fully mature and functional cells.

These neurons were then incorporated into a circuit functioning as a simulated system, where the researchers were able to induce long-term potentiation (LTP). LTP — which allows for memory formation — is a key phenomenon in the study of cognition, and one that has mostly evaded direct observation in human models.


A UCF researcher’s work to create a “brain-on-a-chip” aims to improve neurological disorder research by speeding up drug discovery and providing an alternative to animal testing.

Continue reading “‘Brain-on-a-Chip’ Technology Advances Toward a New Form of Drug Screening” »