Month: August 2010

Quantum Optics from the Opposite Direction: QED Limits on Laser Intensities

Most of the time, when we talk about seeing quantum effects from light, we talk about extremely weak beams– looking at intensities where one photon more or less represents a significant change in the intensity of the light. Last week, though, Physics Buzz wrote up a paper that goes in the other direction: they suggest… Continue reading Quantum Optics from the Opposite Direction: QED Limits on Laser Intensities

Links for 2010-08-18

The Should I Skip Class Today? Calculator Here’s a clue: If you need to use a web-based “calculator” to decide whether to go to class or not, it doesn’t matter whether you go to class or not. (tags: education academia stupid internet) Backreaction: Worries “At first sight, physicists seem like normal people. But ask what… Continue reading Links for 2010-08-18

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Scott Pilgrim

So, I blew off stuff I should’ve been doing, and went to see a matinee of the Scott Pilgrim movie this morning (it’s very much not Kate’s sort of thing, and I would feel guilty ditching her with SteelyKid to see it during the evening or on a weekend). Actually, first I went to Borders… Continue reading Scott Pilgrim

Wind and Temperature: Why Doesn’t Windy Equal Hot?

I got forwarded a physics question last night asking about the connection between wind and temperature, which I’ll paraphrase as: Temperature is related to the motion of the atoms and molecules making a substance up, with faster motion corresponding to higher temperature. So why does it feel warmer when the air is still and why… Continue reading Wind and Temperature: Why Doesn’t Windy Equal Hot?

Synchronicity and “Administrative Bloat”

At Inside Higher Ed this morning, they have a news squib about a new report blaming the high cost of college on “administrative bloat.” Coincidentally, the Dean Dad has a post pre-emptively responding to this in the course of arguing with a different group: In terms of administration, what would you cut? Should we stop… Continue reading Synchronicity and “Administrative Bloat”

Links for 2010-08-17

For Lean Budgets, a Plug-and-Play Solar System – Green Blog – NYTimes.com You know you’re a physical scientist when “Plug-and-Play Solar System” suggests something like “… then you put Jupiter here, and you’re all set. See, they’re orbiting already! And it’s open-source, so it’s free.” Sadly, this is actually about some home photovoltaic thing. (tags:… Continue reading Links for 2010-08-17

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Algebra and Circuit Breakers

A couple of “kids these days are bad at math” stories crossed my feed reader last week, first a New York Times blog post about remedial math, then a Cocktail Party Physics post on confusion about equals signs. The first was brought to my attention via a locked LiveJournal post taking the obligatory “Who cares… Continue reading Algebra and Circuit Breakers

What Do You Need to Make Cold Atoms? Appendix: “No-Laser” Methods

Last week’s series of posts on the hardware needed for laser cooling and trapping experiments dealt specifically with laser-cooling type experiments. It’s possible, though, to make cold atoms without using laser cooling, using a number of techniques I described in two posts back in January. Those didn’t go into the hardware required, though, so what’s… Continue reading What Do You Need to Make Cold Atoms? Appendix: “No-Laser” Methods

Links for 2010-08-16

Sex between adolescents in romantic relationships is often harmless to their academics “The context in which adolescent sexual activity occurs can substantially moderate the negative relationship between sexual intercourse and education, according to research to be presented at the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association. “Compared to abstinence, sexual intercourse in committed romantic… Continue reading Links for 2010-08-16

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