A hundred years ago today, Einstein’s theory of gravity was first put to the test when Arthur Eddington observed light “bending” around the sun during a solar eclipse. A century later, scientists are still searching for the limits of the theory. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/clocks-gravity-limits-of-relativity…
Tag: measurements
Researchers break quantum limit in the precision of force and position measurements
Researchers of the Schliesser Lab at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, have pushed the precision of force and position measurements into a new regime. Their experiment is the first to surpass the so-called “Standard Quantum Limit,” or SQL, which arises in the most common (and successful) optical techniques for ultra-precise position measurements. For more than 50 years, experimentalists have…
Ancient ice sheets found under Mars’ north pole
Researchers estimate that if the massive ice deposits melted, they’d cover the planet in 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/mars-ice-caps-north-pole…
Tiny dips in star brightnesses reveal 3 exocomets
It’s amazing we can detect comets in distant solar systems at all! These are the first 3 exocomets found in data gathered by TESS, NASA’s newest planet-hunter. The comets orbit the famous star Beta Pictoris. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/3-exocomets-famous-star-beta-pictoris…
Quantum computing boost from vapour stabilising technique
A technique to stabilise alkali metal vapour density using gold nanoparticles, so electrons can be accessed for applications including quantum computing, atom cooling and precision measurements, has been patented by scientists at the University of Bath. …
A family of comets reopens the debate about the origin of Earth’s water
Where did the Earth’s water come from? Although comets, with their icy nuclei, seem like ideal candidates, analyses have so far shown that their water differs from that in our oceans. Now, however, an international team, bringing together CNRS researchers at the Laboratory for Studies of Radiation and Matter in Astrophysics and Atmospheres (Paris Observatory – PSL/CNRS/ Sorbonne University/University of Cergy-Pontoise)…
More West Antarctic glacier ice now unstable
By combining 25 years of satellite data, scientists have discovered that warming ocean waters have caused the ice to thin so rapidly that 24% of the glacier ice in West Antarctica is now affected. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/west-antarctica-ice-unstable…
New Paper Confirms Near-Room-Temperature Superconductivity In Wild, Hydrogen-Rich Material
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Gizmodo: A team of physicists has published peer-reviewed results documenting near-room-temperature superconductivity in the hydrogen-rich compound lanthanum hydride. The team, led by physicist Mikhail Eremets from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, kicked off the most recent race for a high-temperature superconducting hydride in 2015, when they published a paper announcing the discovery of…
Phones Can Now Tell Who Is Carrying Them From Their Users’ Gaits
PolygamousRanchKid shares an excerpt from a report via The Economist: Most online fraud involves identity theft, which is why businesses that operate on the web have a keen interest in distinguishing impersonators from genuine customers. Passwords help. But many can be guessed or are jotted down imprudently. Newer phones, tablets, and laptop and desktop computers often have beefed-up security with fingerprint…
Why the moon’s near and far sides look different
New research suggests that a wayward dwarf planet collided with the moon in the early history of the solar system, causing the stark difference between the moon’s heavily-cratered far side and the lower-lying open basins of its near side. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/why-the-moons-near-and-far-sides-look-different…