Eli Fennell
Living La Vida Científica
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Researchers Identify Possible Echoes of Black Holes From Previous Universes
The origin of our universe is still a matter of debate, to say the least. Most researchers favor the idea that our cosmos began as a homogenous point called a singularity, which then burst with energy, inflating spacetime itself. However, there have long been curious observations which are not seemingly consistent with this simple picture, such as discrepancies in the observed early temperatures of the universe versus those predicted by the singularity model.
Another curious data point comes in the form of swirling polarization patterns called B-modes in the Cosmic Microwave Background (a Big Bang echo). While there is still some debate as to whether these B-modes even exist rather than being artefacts of our own measurements, a team led by Sir Roger Penrose believes these are echoes of evaporated Black Holes.
This is a subject Penrose knows well, being credited alongside Stephen Hawking for finding Hawking Radiation, i.e. the energy radiated by a Black Hole. The process of a Black Hole evaporating through its own radiation is the ultimate Cosmic Tortoise, so gradual that we have literally never observed it in our universe, but we would expect to find echoes of this if Penrose is right.
Because, according to Penrose, our universe had no beginning, and will have no end, but cycles through periods where, all matter having broken down to more basic quanta eventually, a universe indistinguishable from a singularity eventually begins the cycle all over again, with only things like these B-modes left over from evaporated Black Holes to disturb the homogeneity that would prevail if this was a one-off process instead of an ongoing cycle.
Only time and future observations will tell us both whether these B-modes are a real phenomenon, rather than an artefact, and if so whether they prove that our universe is just the latest to inhabit this space, perhaps in a line of universes stretching back to unfathomable eternities, and which may be only a middle point of a cycle stretching forward to equally unfathomable eternities, as well.
#BlindMeWithScience #BigBang #Cosmology
The origin of our universe is still a matter of debate, to say the least. Most researchers favor the idea that our cosmos began as a homogenous point called a singularity, which then burst with energy, inflating spacetime itself. However, there have long been curious observations which are not seemingly consistent with this simple picture, such as discrepancies in the observed early temperatures of the universe versus those predicted by the singularity model.
Another curious data point comes in the form of swirling polarization patterns called B-modes in the Cosmic Microwave Background (a Big Bang echo). While there is still some debate as to whether these B-modes even exist rather than being artefacts of our own measurements, a team led by Sir Roger Penrose believes these are echoes of evaporated Black Holes.
This is a subject Penrose knows well, being credited alongside Stephen Hawking for finding Hawking Radiation, i.e. the energy radiated by a Black Hole. The process of a Black Hole evaporating through its own radiation is the ultimate Cosmic Tortoise, so gradual that we have literally never observed it in our universe, but we would expect to find echoes of this if Penrose is right.
Because, according to Penrose, our universe had no beginning, and will have no end, but cycles through periods where, all matter having broken down to more basic quanta eventually, a universe indistinguishable from a singularity eventually begins the cycle all over again, with only things like these B-modes left over from evaporated Black Holes to disturb the homogeneity that would prevail if this was a one-off process instead of an ongoing cycle.
Only time and future observations will tell us both whether these B-modes are a real phenomenon, rather than an artefact, and if so whether they prove that our universe is just the latest to inhabit this space, perhaps in a line of universes stretching back to unfathomable eternities, and which may be only a middle point of a cycle stretching forward to equally unfathomable eternities, as well.
#BlindMeWithScience #BigBang #Cosmology
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Saw this one at the drive-in theater last night. I was torn right up to the ticket gate between Mile 22 and BlacKkKlansman. I'm glad I chose the first one. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't without its flaws, mainly in the form of underdeveloped characters and overhyped character backgrounds that had relatively little to do with the overall plot.
But, it gave me what I was hoping for: tight, intense action scenes driving a political-intelligence-paramilitary plotline layered with intrigue. It also gave me something I wasn't expecting going in: badass fight scenes combining a raw, Bourne-like feel with a sapor of Jet Li-style martial arts.
It drew me in enough that the dangling (as in, as-yet-unanswered) plot threads it left open had me wondering when the second part of this apparently planned trilogy might drop (and hoping it will be by next year). The ending also subverted the typical outcome expectation for the genre, again in a way that leaves me piqued to see the next installment.
It won't topple Bourne for redefining audience expectations, nor rival Bond for longevity, but it made my popcorn taste better, and didn't annoy me with its blatant franchise setup. It wouldn't quite be right to say it's a proper standalone film, but it does feel like it's a story that merits multiple chapters to complete.
But, it gave me what I was hoping for: tight, intense action scenes driving a political-intelligence-paramilitary plotline layered with intrigue. It also gave me something I wasn't expecting going in: badass fight scenes combining a raw, Bourne-like feel with a sapor of Jet Li-style martial arts.
It drew me in enough that the dangling (as in, as-yet-unanswered) plot threads it left open had me wondering when the second part of this apparently planned trilogy might drop (and hoping it will be by next year). The ending also subverted the typical outcome expectation for the genre, again in a way that leaves me piqued to see the next installment.
It won't topple Bourne for redefining audience expectations, nor rival Bond for longevity, but it made my popcorn taste better, and didn't annoy me with its blatant franchise setup. It wouldn't quite be right to say it's a proper standalone film, but it does feel like it's a story that merits multiple chapters to complete.
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Old Age Is No Modern Invention
You may have heard a variation on the following claim: Ancient people lived hard and died young. They were often 'old' by the standards of their day and age, where we would still be young or in our middle ages. They left behind a lot of beautiful corpses, and few with gray hairs on their heads, or at least with few gray hairs earned by the passing of years. Thanks to modern technology, though, we now live to ripe old ages our ancestors could scarcely imagine, apart from a very small, fortunate minority.
It sounds so plausible and convincing, that there is only one small problem: it's not true. Not really. What is true, is that average lifespans tended to be shorter, but their numbers were dragged down in this regard by high early mortality rates, i.e. miscarriages, stillbirths, and childhood mortality. There are substantial lifespan differences in the world today, which are also heavily determined by early mortality, moreso than the longevity of those who survive childhood. The difference between modern and ancient, as it turns out, is not so different from the difference between Third World and First World is today.
In fact, and depending a lot on the particular peoples we are referring to, it was not at all uncommon for many people, if they reached adulthood at all, to live to ripe old ages even by our modern Western standards. Despite all the threats of disease, malnutrition, and injury, and other risks to survival, people still managed it, and not rarely either. Old people were not some quasi mythical sort of creature in antiquity, but were common enough that the form and symptoms of senescence were as well known then as they are today. Even "dying of old age", as we call it, was not an uncommon event.
So by all means, celebrate the many things modern society has achieved to preserve, prolong, and enhance life! But make no mistake: surviving childhood is most of the battle in the war for a long life, and always has been.
#BlindMeWithScience #Archaeology #History
You may have heard a variation on the following claim: Ancient people lived hard and died young. They were often 'old' by the standards of their day and age, where we would still be young or in our middle ages. They left behind a lot of beautiful corpses, and few with gray hairs on their heads, or at least with few gray hairs earned by the passing of years. Thanks to modern technology, though, we now live to ripe old ages our ancestors could scarcely imagine, apart from a very small, fortunate minority.
It sounds so plausible and convincing, that there is only one small problem: it's not true. Not really. What is true, is that average lifespans tended to be shorter, but their numbers were dragged down in this regard by high early mortality rates, i.e. miscarriages, stillbirths, and childhood mortality. There are substantial lifespan differences in the world today, which are also heavily determined by early mortality, moreso than the longevity of those who survive childhood. The difference between modern and ancient, as it turns out, is not so different from the difference between Third World and First World is today.
In fact, and depending a lot on the particular peoples we are referring to, it was not at all uncommon for many people, if they reached adulthood at all, to live to ripe old ages even by our modern Western standards. Despite all the threats of disease, malnutrition, and injury, and other risks to survival, people still managed it, and not rarely either. Old people were not some quasi mythical sort of creature in antiquity, but were common enough that the form and symptoms of senescence were as well known then as they are today. Even "dying of old age", as we call it, was not an uncommon event.
So by all means, celebrate the many things modern society has achieved to preserve, prolong, and enhance life! But make no mistake: surviving childhood is most of the battle in the war for a long life, and always has been.
#BlindMeWithScience #Archaeology #History
Did Ancient People Die Young?
sapiens.org
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This was a really, surprisingly good movie. If you've ever heard a movie described as 'Ripped From the Headlines', this one had the feel of 'Ripped From Tomorrow's Headlines'.
The plot line raises some rather discomfiting questions about the bargain we may be making for all the revolutionary changes technology is bringing about and will bring about in coming years, including the Internet of Things, Genetic Engineering, Quantum Computing, and Nanotechnology.
Johnny Depp, and the rest of the movie's All Star cast (including the inimitable Morgan Freeman), draw the viewer into the story effectively at every twist and turn. And the ending pleasantly subverted all of my expectations.
The plot line raises some rather discomfiting questions about the bargain we may be making for all the revolutionary changes technology is bringing about and will bring about in coming years, including the Internet of Things, Genetic Engineering, Quantum Computing, and Nanotechnology.
Johnny Depp, and the rest of the movie's All Star cast (including the inimitable Morgan Freeman), draw the viewer into the story effectively at every twist and turn. And the ending pleasantly subverted all of my expectations.
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Twitter Bots and Russian 'Trolls' Spreading FUD About Vaccines
A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health compared Twitter Bot accounts, Russian 'Troll' accounts, 'Content Polluters' (spammers, malware dissemenators, etc...) and average Twitter user accounts on vaccine-related content. Their findings reveal that whereas Bots and Content Polluters tended to spread antivaxxer messages, Russian Troll accounts, as the term 'Troll' classically implies, were more interested in sewing divisiveness by posting highly polarized and politicized anti- and pro-vaxxer messages. And each group posted far more vaccine-related content than average user accounts, perhaps unsurprisingly.
The researchers concluded that these accounts, posing as real users, can create uncertainty, false equivalence, and otherwise contaminate the public discourse, leading to an excess of skepticism in what is, undeniably, a technology which has saved more lives than nearly any other modern medical technologies, even wiping out diseases our species once frequently suffered. This helps fuel the rise of the antivaxxer movement, which is almost single-handedly bringing back measles and other readily preventable diseases.
While there are other ways in which Twitter, and social media in general, can help connect and strengthen the resolve to antivaxxers, there can be little doubt that the proliferation of accounts which are either not really operated by humans, or are operated by humans deliberately spreading misinformation and sewing socio-political division, are playing a substantial role in this. Given that more than a few of these accounts are unofficially-officially backed by a major government, whose operatives cannot be said to have the best interests of their international target audiences at heart, this should be especially concerning, i.e. that a foreign nation may, for their own (likely nefarious) purposes, be undermining public health issues and putting large chunks of the global population at risk of preventable health crises.
You can also read the study itself here:
https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304567
#BlindMeWithScience #Vaccination #SocialMedia
A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health compared Twitter Bot accounts, Russian 'Troll' accounts, 'Content Polluters' (spammers, malware dissemenators, etc...) and average Twitter user accounts on vaccine-related content. Their findings reveal that whereas Bots and Content Polluters tended to spread antivaxxer messages, Russian Troll accounts, as the term 'Troll' classically implies, were more interested in sewing divisiveness by posting highly polarized and politicized anti- and pro-vaxxer messages. And each group posted far more vaccine-related content than average user accounts, perhaps unsurprisingly.
The researchers concluded that these accounts, posing as real users, can create uncertainty, false equivalence, and otherwise contaminate the public discourse, leading to an excess of skepticism in what is, undeniably, a technology which has saved more lives than nearly any other modern medical technologies, even wiping out diseases our species once frequently suffered. This helps fuel the rise of the antivaxxer movement, which is almost single-handedly bringing back measles and other readily preventable diseases.
While there are other ways in which Twitter, and social media in general, can help connect and strengthen the resolve to antivaxxers, there can be little doubt that the proliferation of accounts which are either not really operated by humans, or are operated by humans deliberately spreading misinformation and sewing socio-political division, are playing a substantial role in this. Given that more than a few of these accounts are unofficially-officially backed by a major government, whose operatives cannot be said to have the best interests of their international target audiences at heart, this should be especially concerning, i.e. that a foreign nation may, for their own (likely nefarious) purposes, be undermining public health issues and putting large chunks of the global population at risk of preventable health crises.
You can also read the study itself here:
https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304567
#BlindMeWithScience #Vaccination #SocialMedia
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Science Funders From 11 European Nations Adopt Radical Open Access Plan
11 European science funding agencies, from as many nations, which collectively contribute nearly $9bn U.S. worth of research grants annually, have joined together on an ambitious Open Access Plan: 'Plan S'.
Plan S calls for immediate, free-to-read access to research published under grant funding from any of the organizations involved, along with liberal (typically free-of-cost) licenses to download, reuse, and translate research findings. Most radically, it bans researchers from publication in about 85% of major research journals, which typically lock this research up behind paywalls.
It is no exaggeration to say that this plan spells doom for the major Subscription Journal Publishers as we know them, and they're not happy. The decision is facing push back, of course, but the journals are rather powerless against the people who actually write the cheques. Much of this research is at least partly publicly funded, anyways, which makes the presence of paywalls all the more galling.
I, for one, say good riddance to Science paywalls! May they die swiftly and ingloriously! Science depends on the free and open exchange, review, and reuse of findings, as well as anything relevant to the findings, such as the procedures used to obtain them, the personnel and organizations involved, etc...
Research behind paywalls is research that cannot benefit the collective whole of humanity's great Enlightenment Project known as Scientific Inquiry.
#BlindMeWithScience #PlanS #OpenAccess
11 European science funding agencies, from as many nations, which collectively contribute nearly $9bn U.S. worth of research grants annually, have joined together on an ambitious Open Access Plan: 'Plan S'.
Plan S calls for immediate, free-to-read access to research published under grant funding from any of the organizations involved, along with liberal (typically free-of-cost) licenses to download, reuse, and translate research findings. Most radically, it bans researchers from publication in about 85% of major research journals, which typically lock this research up behind paywalls.
It is no exaggeration to say that this plan spells doom for the major Subscription Journal Publishers as we know them, and they're not happy. The decision is facing push back, of course, but the journals are rather powerless against the people who actually write the cheques. Much of this research is at least partly publicly funded, anyways, which makes the presence of paywalls all the more galling.
I, for one, say good riddance to Science paywalls! May they die swiftly and ingloriously! Science depends on the free and open exchange, review, and reuse of findings, as well as anything relevant to the findings, such as the procedures used to obtain them, the personnel and organizations involved, etc...
Research behind paywalls is research that cannot benefit the collective whole of humanity's great Enlightenment Project known as Scientific Inquiry.
#BlindMeWithScience #PlanS #OpenAccess
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"What our enemies have sought to destroy is beyond their reach. It cannot be taken from us. It can only be surrendered." - John McCain
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Mechanical 'Exoskeletons' Nearing Mainstream Adoption
Humans have dreamed of exoskeletons capable of augmenting the limits of human physiology for generations, with perhaps the most iconic representation of this from popular culture being the Power Loader suit worn by Ripley in Aliens, or the military exoskeletons from the video game series Mechwarrior. Of course, not all hypothetical exoskeletons are powered, or augment the entire body, though such are the most popular types in stories.
Despite some prototypes of this technology existing for decades, real world deployment hasn't followed. That is, however, changing. First, in recent years, various technologies that can earn the moniker of Exoskeleton have been successfully tested in medical sciences on patients with disabilities.
That, however, may have been just the tip of the iceberg, as Ford announced earlier this month that they plan to deploy a type of partial Exoskeleton, which is unpowered and helps workers hold heavy weights up over their head for long periods when necessary. It was made by Ekso Bionics, and is to be utilized at 15 locations worldwide following successful U.S. trials. They cost ~$5,000 per unit, which while not cheap, is much cheaper than the average cost to repair the types of injuries it helps prevent.
On the military end of the equation, Lockheed Martin’s lower body-supporting ONYX, another unpowered partial Exoskeleton which helps support the legs of soldiers carrying up to 100 pounds of weight, is set to start U.S. trials this year.
Additionally, powered systems by firms like Panasonic subsidiary Atoun and Sarcos Robotics have begun or will soon begin trials, as well, bringing us closer to the true Power Loader technology. Some of these are being developed for commercial and civilian applications, and others for military uses.
The future may, as many predict, be one of countless human jobs being lost to robotics, but in the near term, robotics will be used to enhance human capabilities, both preserving some jobs for at least the near future in human (or, if you prefer, cyborg) hands, as well as perhaps opening new jobs for humans previously physiologically incapable of performing them, not to mention enabling many disabled individuals to become more active and productive.
#Robotics #MechSuit #Exoskeleton
Humans have dreamed of exoskeletons capable of augmenting the limits of human physiology for generations, with perhaps the most iconic representation of this from popular culture being the Power Loader suit worn by Ripley in Aliens, or the military exoskeletons from the video game series Mechwarrior. Of course, not all hypothetical exoskeletons are powered, or augment the entire body, though such are the most popular types in stories.
Despite some prototypes of this technology existing for decades, real world deployment hasn't followed. That is, however, changing. First, in recent years, various technologies that can earn the moniker of Exoskeleton have been successfully tested in medical sciences on patients with disabilities.
That, however, may have been just the tip of the iceberg, as Ford announced earlier this month that they plan to deploy a type of partial Exoskeleton, which is unpowered and helps workers hold heavy weights up over their head for long periods when necessary. It was made by Ekso Bionics, and is to be utilized at 15 locations worldwide following successful U.S. trials. They cost ~$5,000 per unit, which while not cheap, is much cheaper than the average cost to repair the types of injuries it helps prevent.
On the military end of the equation, Lockheed Martin’s lower body-supporting ONYX, another unpowered partial Exoskeleton which helps support the legs of soldiers carrying up to 100 pounds of weight, is set to start U.S. trials this year.
Additionally, powered systems by firms like Panasonic subsidiary Atoun and Sarcos Robotics have begun or will soon begin trials, as well, bringing us closer to the true Power Loader technology. Some of these are being developed for commercial and civilian applications, and others for military uses.
The future may, as many predict, be one of countless human jobs being lost to robotics, but in the near term, robotics will be used to enhance human capabilities, both preserving some jobs for at least the near future in human (or, if you prefer, cyborg) hands, as well as perhaps opening new jobs for humans previously physiologically incapable of performing them, not to mention enabling many disabled individuals to become more active and productive.
#Robotics #MechSuit #Exoskeleton
Are Exoskeletons About to Go Mainstream?
singularityhub.com
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"If a nation wants to be deceived, let it be deceived! Through this way, they will learn the truth after many deceptions and pains!" - Mehmet Murat ildan
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New Robot Uses Machine Learning To Protect Reefs From Lionfish
Lionfish, once imported to the Atlantic Ocean from the tropics for aquariums, have become an invasive threat to Atlantic coral reef populations. To make matters worse, they're covered in poisonous spines, making them difficult and dangerous for divers to capture or avoid. Hence, it has been difficult to address the threat they pose by attempting to control their spread.
A new type of robot may well be the solution to the problem. Designed by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, this new type of tiny submersible robot is designed to use Computer Vision, based on Machine Learning of thousands of photos, to identify Lionfish. It can then spear them with one of eight tiny spears, each of which is buoyant, thereby raising the speared fish to the surface.
The robot operates autonomously and untethered, thereby not only being able to operate independently, but also act as a guardian for any human divers present. It is not yet ready for Prime Time, as it still needs to be programmed with a navigation system to enable it to create 3D search grids of its surroundings, but if successful, this new system may both protect human divers, and the invaluable coral reef systems our oceans depend upon, at the same time.
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning
Lionfish, once imported to the Atlantic Ocean from the tropics for aquariums, have become an invasive threat to Atlantic coral reef populations. To make matters worse, they're covered in poisonous spines, making them difficult and dangerous for divers to capture or avoid. Hence, it has been difficult to address the threat they pose by attempting to control their spread.
A new type of robot may well be the solution to the problem. Designed by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, this new type of tiny submersible robot is designed to use Computer Vision, based on Machine Learning of thousands of photos, to identify Lionfish. It can then spear them with one of eight tiny spears, each of which is buoyant, thereby raising the speared fish to the surface.
The robot operates autonomously and untethered, thereby not only being able to operate independently, but also act as a guardian for any human divers present. It is not yet ready for Prime Time, as it still needs to be programmed with a navigation system to enable it to create 3D search grids of its surroundings, but if successful, this new system may both protect human divers, and the invaluable coral reef systems our oceans depend upon, at the same time.
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning
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