Browsing Archive: September, 2014

Gravity Waves and the Big Bang - Update

Posted by on Thursday, September 25, 2014, In : Astronomy

As some readers may recall, back in March I wrote about the excitement in the physics community regarding new results that were published on the polarization of the cosmic microwave background. (see the original article here). By analyzing how the photons that were created in the early Universe were aligned, it appeared that the existence of the inflaton and inflationary theory had been proven after three decades. The new data also promised to have an impact on quantum gravity models, as some...
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Dictionary Project

Posted by on Tuesday, September 23, 2014, In : Fundraising

It is hard to believe that over twenty years have passed since I first starting writing the Grandiloquent Dictionary. Most of my readers already know the story but for those who do not, it started when I was still in high school. I had plans to go away to University and I knew I wouldn't be able to take my unabridged dictionaries with me due to a lack of dorm space. And so I started writing down a list on my computer of the most interesting words so I would have at least a minimal dictionary ...
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The FirstBuild Program

Posted by on Friday, September 19, 2014,

I do not normally venture into the corporate world with my blog articles, but today I feel I must make an exception. And the reason is that the global titan known as General Electric has made a clear statement today that it supports the maker movement. And when a giant such as GE shows this kind of spirit of support and co-operation with the Maker community, it is worth writing about.

GE has just launched both their FirstBuild program, and its first project, the Green Bean module. The Green B...
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A Higgs Boson Armageddon?

Posted by on Tuesday, September 9, 2014, In : Particle Physics

With that headline, I suppose I should begin this article with a definitive and categorical NO!

So then why is this question even being asked? Because Stephen Hawking likes selling books and is mischievous enough to give doomsday scenarios that the media revels in. He knows that making a wild statements about how the world will end will get his new book a lot of publicity, and perhaps if the publicity leads to people learning about modern particle physics and discussing the latest theories, it...
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Third Supermoon

Posted by on Tuesday, September 9, 2014, In : Astronomy

Tonight was the third and final supermoon of the summer. There isn't much more to say about it, but I finally got a decent photo with my 1000mm lens (regrettably my 2000mm lens malfunctioned in the field) so I thought I would add it here. This is as shot, with no post-processing.

The Holographic Principle

Posted by on Saturday, September 6, 2014,

This past week saw the start of an experiment to test the holographic principle, which has lead to several request for a simple explanation of what the holographic principle is. Although it is not my specialty, I will try to provide a basic overview.

This idea starts with work in the 1970s on black holes. A black hole is an object in space that is so dense, not even light can escape from it. Nothing can ever escape from it (except possibly for thermal energy through Hawking radiation). Which l...
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Free Software

Posted by on Tuesday, September 2, 2014, In : Administrative

With the arrival of September, students around the world will be returning to classes this week. And for those who are starting out at college or university, one of the most important considerations is how to live on a budget. These are the years when one has little or no income, but must bear the expenses of living independently for the first time. While giving advice on living on a budget is far too expansive to cover in this blog, I can tackle one small aspect of student life by providing ...
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Back To School

Posted by on Tuesday, September 2, 2014, In : Administrative

Some loyal readers will recognize this entry as a repeat from the last two years. I have had requests from some of my readers to repeat it again this year, and so I must once again acquiesce to the masses...

To all the students starting University, enjoy this time of your life. Long ago when I started, a prof told me that this is the start of your real education. Now you get to choose your own courses and your own field of study. It is entirely up to you to decide what to do with this chance.

I...