Thought processes and sundries.

quantumaniac:

A Visible Twin Sun? It’s Possible

Remember this scene from Star Wars - the binary star system that made two stars visible from the planet? According to Dr. Brad Carter, Senior Lecturer of Physics at the University of Southern Queensland, there could be a similar case for Earth quite soon! Okay okay, the chances of this actually happening are very, very slim - but the fun of it is that it’s possible! 

One of the night sky’s brightest stars, Betelgeuse, is losing mass! Although not on a Jenny Craig diet, this is a clear sign to Astrophysicists that the star is collapsing - meaning that it could undergo a supernova at any time! If it were to happen, the explosion would be just as bright as the daytime sun, and the view would last for weeks! Additionally, the explosion would cause a harmless shower of neutrinos (those apparently faster than light ones) onto the planet. Carter said “They will flood through the Earth and bizarrely enough, even though the supernova we see visually will light up the night sky, 99 per cent of the energy in the supernova is released in these particles that will come through our bodies and through the Earth with absolutely no harm whatsoever.”

U.S. astronomer Phil Plait said that “Betelgeuse might go up tonight, or it might not be for 100,000 years. We’re just not sure.” But the fact is, it could happen at anytime, and it would be really, really awesome. Keep watching. 

I hope I see this in my lifetime.

quantumaniac:

Amber Waves of Grain

quantumaniac:

Dr. Michio Kaku

Without a doubt, Michio Kaku is one of the most popular theoretical Physicists of the modern day. The Henry Semat Professor of Theoretical Physics in the City College of New York of City University of New York, Kaku is a co-founder of string field theory, as well as a notable ‘communicator’ and ‘popularizer’ of science. 

Born in San Jose, California, Kaku had a promising childhood. As a high school student, he developed an atom smasher as a science project, which brought him to the attention of Edward Teller. Kaku graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University in 1968, graduating first in his physics class. In 1972, he received his Ph. D from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Kaku is the author of several notable textbooks on string theory and quantum field theory. Additionally, he has written several books to popularize science, and has appeared on multiple programs on the History and Discovery Channels. A few of his science books are Physics of the Future, Physics of the Impossible, Hyperspace; among others. Additionally, Kaku is the host of a one-hour radio program Explorations. 

Kaku is known most notably for his appearances in television and film, including features on The Universe, Visions of the Future, CNN, The Science Channel, and dozens more. 

Plus, he has a sweet car. 

I’ve watched some of this guy’s shows before and he’s awesome. Really informative and he just makes science awesome. If you get a chance to watch any of his stuff, do. I plan on picking up some of his books at some stage.

Plus, he has a sweet car.

Ha!