OK, it’s a paper I mentioned here before, when it went up on the arxiv, but the “Comments on Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics” article I wrote this summer is up on the Physica Scripta web site now, and for the next not-quite-thirty days it’s free to read and download: Searching for new physics through… Continue reading Do the New Paper Dance
Category: Physics
What’s FiveThirtyEight Good For?: The Inevitable Nate Silver Backlash
Now that we’ve apparently elected Nate Silver the President of Science, this is some predictable grumbling about whether he’s been overhyped. If you’ve somehow missed the whole thing, Jennifer Ouellette offers an excellent summary of the FiveThirtyEight saga, with lots of links, but the Inigo Montoya summing up is that Silver runs a blog predicting… Continue reading What’s FiveThirtyEight Good For?: The Inevitable Nate Silver Backlash
Twitter-Induced Degradation
In which I discuss the manner in which and the degree to which Twitter is ruining the media. ———— Yesterday, Kevin Drum posted saying that Twitter is ruining political journalism, calling out its role in solidifying media groupthink before events are even completed. That seemed like a pretty good criticism to me, but like a… Continue reading Twitter-Induced Degradation
Conceptual Physics Costumes for Halloween
For various reasons I can’t talk about, I’m not in a good mental place for deep and thoughtful blogging just at the moment. But prompted by yesterday’s Surviving the World, I’ll revisit a past post topic, and suggest some abstract ideas you could dress as for Halloween, if you’re so inclined. The Doppler Effect: Wear… Continue reading Conceptual Physics Costumes for Halloween
Quantum Computing and Chess Problems
In which I steal an analogy from Joe Emerson to explain the limits of quantum computing. ———— As previously noted, a couple of weeks ago I went to Canada for the opening of the University of Waterloo’s new Quantum Nano Center (their photo gallery includes one picture of me being interviewed, along with lots of… Continue reading Quantum Computing and Chess Problems
Gandalf Was Wrong: Spectroscopy and The Lord of the Rings
It’s a banner day for science explainer things I wrote, as a piece I wrote has just gone live at Tor.com: Why Gandalf Is Wrong Even as a kid, reading J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings at the golden age of twelve or so, Gandalf’s response to Saruman never sat well with… Continue reading Gandalf Was Wrong: Spectroscopy and The Lord of the Rings
What’s So Interesting About Single Quantum Systems? Physics Nobel 2012
In which we do a little imaginary Q&A to explain the significance of Tuesday’s Nobel Prize to Dave Wineland and Serge Haroche. ———— I did a quick post Tuesday morning noting that the latest Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to two big names from my corner of the field. This would’ve been a great… Continue reading What’s So Interesting About Single Quantum Systems? Physics Nobel 2012
Congratulations to Dave Wineland, Serge Haroche, and KSC
The 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics was announced this morning, going to Serge Haroche and Dave Wineland, “for ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems”. This isn’t a pair that was getting much love from the prognosticators, but they’re an excellent choice. And, in fact, commenter KSC correctly picked Wineland… Continue reading Congratulations to Dave Wineland, Serge Haroche, and KSC
Entangled in the Past: “Entanglement Between Photons that have Never Coexisted”
In which we do a little ResearchBlogging to look at a new paper about weird quantum effects, entangling two photons that never both exist at the same time. ———— I’m teaching full-time this term, but I’ve blocked out Thursdays as a day when I don’t do class- or chair-related work. Usually, this means trying to… Continue reading Entangled in the Past: “Entanglement Between Photons that have Never Coexisted”
Gender and Balance in Aviation
In which we use math and physics to show that the pilots of my flight from Toronto to Albany this past weekend were full of crap. ———— As previously noted, I was in Waterloo, Ontario this past weekend for the Open House at the University of Waterloo’s new Quantum Nano Center. My talk went very… Continue reading Gender and Balance in Aviation