Fine Structure

LIGO Should Detect Gravity Waves by 2017

2012-08-21T04:15:52Z

The LIGO sensors are getting upgrades in sensitivity that will help them observe gravitational waves - if gravitational waves exist, of course. Kip Thorne is perhaps the foremost expert on these kinds of waves that are theorized to distort space time as they travel outwards from huge gravitational events such as two black holes colliding.

Kip says that gravitational waves should be detectable in the range of between once per hour or once a year by 2017 at the latest. That's a pretty big range and he doesn't specify if that is uncertainty about the amount of gravitational waves created or simply the time range for larger events that LIGO will be able to detect.

I'm fascinated if they'll detect any "pixelation" of space time as GEO600 did three years ago. I'm not a big fan of the idea that the universe is somehow a giant hologram but the idea of the universe having some very fine underlying properties that we can detect with LIGO and GEO600 are steps towards a better understanding of the universe itself.

In addition, I'm pretty psyched that I can link to an article on Fine Structure from three and a half years ago. Blogs are forever!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48689955/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/hunt-gravitational-waves-black-holes-set-begin/

Where Curiosity is Going

2012-08-18T07:01:43Z

Literally. Curiosity has some big plans to climb Mt. Sharp on Mars in the coming months and the Atlantic has a good overview of the route the rover is likely to use as it heads out of the crater that it landed in.

Some very nice pictures and a sense of just how far Curiosity has to travel to get where its going.

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/08/this-thrilling-image-shows-the-martian-hills-where-the-curiosity-rover-is-going/261286/

Building Curiosity’s Nuclear Power Source

2012-08-07T23:16:09Z

Idaho National Laboratory painstakingly built Curiosity's nuclear power source that's supposed to outlast the previous two rovers by many years (keep in mind they were designed for 90-day missions!). Even after 10 years on the surface the generator will still be producing 89% of its rated current. The longevity of the mechanical components are probably at more risk of failure than lack of current from the power source.

Here's a video from the lab (more of a slideshow I suppose) that shows how stacks of tiny plutonium-iridium chunks are loaded into graphite shells, then into the main power generation equipment. The video also covers the detailed testing process that the power source must go through to prove it can survive being launched on a rocket and landing on Mars.

http://atomicinsights.com/2011/11/building-curiositys-power-source-at-idaho-national-laboratory.html

Just a Casual Plutonium Delivery

2012-07-22T00:11:07Z

It's mid-July which means you'll always find some blog posts reflecting on the first atomic explosion at the Trinity site in New Mexico dated 16 July, 1945. Here's some of the more interesting behind the scenes photos that I've seen about the delivery of the plutonium core to the site (just a converted house in the middle of the desert) where it was added to the device.

The plutonium itself represents many hours of research and refinement by the very secret (at the time) Oak Ridge and Hanford labs. It's clear in these photos that not only is the package potentially dangerous for the individuals handling it but also that it is not quickly or easily recreated if something were to happen to it. A lot of hope rests on this package.

As a reminder, the Trinity site is open to visitors twice a year, in the spring and fall. While it would be nice to visit for the anniversary, the heat would probably be unbearable.

http://longstreet.typepad.com/thesciencebookstore/2012/07/what-did-the-delivery-of-the-plutonium-fo-the-first-atomic-bomb-look-like.html

Giant Dust Clouds DO Move

2012-07-17T07:48:12Z

You really get a sense for the magnitude of these vast interstellar dust clouds as you watch them move in a few of these animated gifs. Then you realize truly how big they are after seeing the dates indicate that they move this far only after a decade! Amazing how intuitive their movement is, even on such an impressive scale!

http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/27275314310/project-argus-npr-hubble-captures-time-lapse

Crackpots, Geniuses, and Evidence

2012-07-12T02:24:53Z

A BoingBoing discussion about what seperates the crackpots from the scientists which is sometimes difficult to discern at first glance - crackpot theories catch on for a reason, after all.

In particular this article covers a theory that Earth began as a gas giant and the solid center was compressed to a much smaller size. As the gas was removed, the center expanded and the previous surface area broke into the continents we know today. It's a fun theory to think about but completely without evidence to support it.

http://boingboing.net/2012/07/10/crackpots-geniuses-and-how-t.html

Higgs-like Particle Discovered

2012-07-04T23:21:32Z

Let's get this out of the way first: a new fundamental particle has been discovered at the LHC!

Now, on to the nitty gritty. I think Wired has the right idea here to make the distinction between discovering a new particle (99.999% confidence that this is something new) and that this is actually the Higgs as the standard model describes it. It'll take some time to discern the useful parts of this new particle but it definitely looks like the Higgs from its mass (around 125-126GeV) and the products that it decays into.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/07/higgs-boson-discovery/

First X-ray Photo From NuStar

2012-06-29T22:47:34Z

Check out the first x-ray photo from the recently launched NuStar mission and you'll immediately see the improvement in our ability to check out very distant x-ray sources.

According to Wired, NuStar will set its sights on a former supernova and then a quasar as its first two targets. Hopefully we'll see some impressive x-ray images along with the useful data gathered in the coming months!

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/06/nustar-x-ray-telescope-photo/

Challenges of Getting to Mars

2012-06-23T14:30:40Z

I've linked to a more all-encompassing video of Curiosity's travel plans from Earth to Mars but we've come to a point where most of the journey is already complete and the laboratory team is focused on the results of slowing through Mars' atmosphere and getting wheels down on the ground.

In case you've forgotten the awesome amount of engineering that is going into this landing on August 5th (1000mph! rockets! skycrane!), here's an animation of the steps that the landing will go through and some engineers explaining their importance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki_Af_o9Q9s&feature=player_embedded

NASA Research Nuclear Reactor

2012-06-21T18:04:07Z

A fantastic visual tour of NASA's one and only nuclear research reactor from the 60s, now completely scrapped.

There are some really great pictures of the technology used to isolate scientists from the dangerous radiation that was so important to their research. Some impressive work went into decommissioning as well; all surfaces had to be checked for radiation before being removed for trashing or nuclear waste storage.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/06/plum-brook-nuclear-facility/?pid=4020&viewall=true

Can you spot the Venus transit with a phone camera?

2012-06-06T08:23:22Z

A friend posted this image on twitter during the early part of the Venus transit today. Note the white dot in the lens flare on the bottom right.

I think it's pretty awesome that the transit can make it into a somewhat normal picture during the day, however I'm not completely convinced that this was actually Venus. On one hand, that was pretty close to the position of Venus when he posted the picture but if the red half-circle is supposed to be a reflected image of the Sun then the scale seems to be a bit off. Venus seems very large in comparison to the approximate size of the Sun given the part of the circle that we can see.

I'll put it out there for anyone who has more detailed knowledge of camera optics. What do you think? Did Venus make it into this shot?

Update: Phil Plait thinks it's just some conveniently placed lens flare.

https://twitter.com/enneff/status/210148220540690434

Jonah Lehrer Leaving Wired Science

2012-06-06T00:12:48Z

There's been no lack of articles written here about Jonah Lehrer's awesome science-based writing over the last couple of years. Now Jonah is leaving Wired Science for the New Yorker which can only mean more exposure for the excellent articles he produces.

Congrats to him!

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/06/some-news/

The Engineer Guy: How a Laser Works

2012-06-05T22:34:53Z

I think the topic of lasers has bested the Engineer Guy. He's usually great with explanations, demos and animations that clearly explain what he's talking about and he hits a few spot on: the ruby demo is excellent and the glow-in-the-dark ball is a nice way to link the topic to something that people are familiar with.

But the animation for retina surgery has too much detail; it feels like 30 seconds of filler where he's talking about one thing (the properties of laser light) and showing something else (some dots "fixing" a torn retina). Soon after he goes on to explain how the electrons undergo population inversion and stimulated emission which is important, but he uses the same animation on repeat for a full minute! The details of what he's talking about are lost as I'm attempting to reconcile what he's saying with what's going on in the animation.

His other 5 minute topics from his Engineer Guy book are great, but this one feels rushed and disorganized. It doesn't feel like it's too hard for him to explain, if you're just listening to him talk he does a decent job. Maybe their animation guy is on vacation?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUEbMjtWc-A

Radiation Burst Recorded in Tree Rings

2012-06-05T00:50:07Z

It's fascinating to see the potential sources of this radiation band in tree rings. There are many possibilities for how such an amount of radiation could be created but the constraints, such as the Earth not being stripped of its atmosphere, limit the known methods.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out after more research in the next couple years.

http://www.nature.com/news/mysterious-radiation-burst-recorded-in-tree-rings-1.10768

Burning Diamonds

2012-05-29T01:28:53Z

Maybe you've put two and two together over the years: if pure carbon (i.e. charcoal) is great for keeping grills and fires burning then why don't diamonds burn since they're are also pure carbon? Truthfully, diamonds do burn given the proper conditions.

Here's a video from popular science testing the ability to burn diamonds. They heat up chunks of impure diamond (it was cheaper...), some in baths of liquid oxygen and it burns readily! Probably not something you want to try at home as they reported chunks of diamond fracturing and being propelled at dangerous speeds.

http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2009-08/burn-diamonds-torch-and-liquid-oxygen