Tag: relativity

Putting the ‘bang’ in Big Bang

Physicists have pondered how the cold, uniform matter of the inflationary early universe became the ultrahot, complex mixture of matter, space and time that led to the universe we know. New work simulates a bridge between cosmic inflation and … everything else. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/big-bang-simulation-inflation-reheating-period…

Physicists Simulate Critical ‘Reheating’ Period That Kickstarted the Big Bang

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Phys.Org: Just before the Big Bang launched the universe onto its ever-expanding course, physicists believe, there was another, more explosive phase of the early universe at play: cosmic inflation, which lasted less than a trillionth of a second. During this period, matter — a cold, homogeneous goop — inflated exponentially quickly before processes of…

The Universe Is Made of Tiny Bubbles Containing Mini-Universes, Scientists Say

‘Spacetime foam’ might just be the wildest thing in the known universe, and we’re just starting to understand it. From a report: A persistent cosmological puzzle has been troubling physicists since 1917: what is the universe made of? Complicating this already-mind-boggling question is the fact that our best theories conflict with our observations of the universe. Albert Einstein, according to scientific…

NASA Engineer’s ‘Helical Engine’ May Violate Laws of Physics

NASA engineer David Burns posted a paper describing the concept of his “helical engine,” which could take humans to the stars by exploiting mass-altering effects known to occur at near-light speed. Unfortunately, it’s been met with skepticism from those who say it violates the conservation of momentum, a core physical law. New Scientist explains: To get to grips with the principle…

Researchers develop quantum-mechanical variant of the twin paradox

One of the fundamental challenges of physics is the reconciliation of Einstein’s theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. The necessity to critically question these two pillars of modern physics arises, for example, from extremely high-energy events in the cosmos, which so far can only ever be explained by one theory at a time, but not both theories in harmony. Researchers around…

Is It Possible To Build a Warp Drive?

appedology.pk quotes Popular Mechanics: Warp drive is one of the many futuristic ideas proposed in Star Trek, allowing for faster-than-light travel across the galaxy. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity prevents anything from moving faster than light. In 1994, a theoretical physicist proposed a workaround: creating a bubble within space-time that would twist distances, allowing anything within the bubble to travel long distances….

Startup That Aims To 3D-Print Rockets Says It’s Fully Funded For Its First Commercial Missions

Aerospace startup Relativity Space — the company that aims to launch the first fully 3D-printed rocket to orbit — says it has raised all of the money it needs to launch its first mission and then enter commercial operations as early as 2021. After raising $140 million in its latest funding round, Relativity says its total funding now equals $185 million,…

NASA creates stunning new black hole visualization

For decades, astronomical theorists have told us that a black hole’s powerful gravity would warp the space around it. This new visualization from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is the best yet at showing exactly how. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/black-hole-visualization-from-side-schnittman-goddard…

Was Venus ever habitable?

Today, Venus is hot, dry … hellish. But maybe not always. Scientists created 5 new computer simulations of Venus, all with some water coverage. All 5 models showed Venus as stable, temperate and with some water for 3 billion years. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/was-venus-ever-habitable…