In May, Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes shocked many when he expressed grave concerns about Facebook’s CEO, its business and its impact on the world. He went as far as suggesting that Facebook should be broken up. Two months later, Hughes has another interesting remark to share. He has warned that Facebook’s new planned digital currency Libra would shift monetary power to…
Tag: liquid
Interaction-induced topology in symmetry-broken phase
Symmetry is a fundamental characteristic in nature. Understanding the mechanisms that break symmetries is essential to scientific research. Spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB), in particular, occurs when thermal or quantum fluctuations drive a system from a symmetric state into an ordered state, as it occurs when a liquid turns into a solid. This mechanism allows researchers to classify different phases of matter…
Two Potentially Life-Friendly Planets Found Orbiting a Nearby Star
A tiny, old star just 12 light-years away might host two temperate, rocky planets, astronomers announced today. If they’re confirmed, both of the newly spotted worlds are nearly identical to Earth in mass, and both planets are in orbits that could allow liquid water to trickle and puddle on their surfaces. National Geographic reports: Scientists estimate that the stellar host, known…
Scientists Discover Previously Unidentified Mass Beneath Surface of the Moon
pgmrdlm shares a report from CBS News: A previously unknown deposit of an unidentified physical substance larger than the size of Hawaii has been discovered beneath the surface of the moon. Scientists at Baylor University published a study detailing their findings of this “anomaly” beneath the moon’s largest crater, at its South Pole. They believe the mass may contain metal carried…
Waterfall illusion: Still objects seem to move
Check out this optical illusion and find out what it says about your brain. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/waterfall-optical-illusion-brain…
Researchers Propose Solar Methanol Island Using Ocean CO2
A PNAS paper published this week outlines a plan to establish 70 islands of solar panels, each 328 feet in diameter, that sends electricity to a hard-hulled ship that acts as an oceanic factory. “This factory uses desalinization and electrolysis equipment to extract hydrogen gas (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) from the surrounding ocean water,” reports Ars Technica. “It then uses…
Here’s a portrait of a family of stars
NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope was used to create this large mosaic of stars and dust clouds in the direction of the constellation Cepheus. Here are multiple star clusters – young, middle-aged and older – born from the same dense clumps of gas and dust. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/star-family-portrait-cepheus-b-and-c…