New advancement in "cold fusion"

BBC News recently covered some advancements at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), in Livermore, California. 

For the first time a fusion reaction was observed that produced more energy than it used, this total gain in energy makes the reaction a form of "cold fusion".

192 laser beams were used to heat and compress a hydrogen pellet until nuclear fusion, the joining of two atoms to form one, occurred. 

Hydrogen fusion is the same process which powers the sun, and has been a desired source of energy for some time, but to date the fusion reactions have been inefficient, costing more energy than they produce. This prevents the reaction from being useful as an energy source.

Bohemian Gravity

Even particle physics can be fun, especially when McGill University physics graduate student, Tim Blais, put together this fantastic video on string theory using the tune of Queen's Bohemian Rapsody. Blais made some previous internet fame last year when he released a video titled "Rolling in the Higgs" describing the Higg's Boson set to the tune of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep".

Silicon - the Internet's Favourite element

Well I don't know if its my favourite element, (I've always been partial to niobium), but this video is a nice introduction to the amazing versatility of Silicon.

Awesome site for visualizing atoms

Here's a fun webpage for visualizing the electron filling in atoms. They also use a nice adaption of the Bohr model that incorporates the s, p, d, f shells from the quantum model.

New fossil has interesting implications

Science is always in flux and the theory of evolution is no exception. Recently David Lordkipanidze et al. discovered a fossil of a skull which appears to have belonged to Homo Erectus in Dmanisi, a small town in southern Georgia. This significant discovery seems to suggest that some of the Homo species previously identified in the same region are more likely variations of Homo Erectus. As the authors make clear, its not that the previous science was bad or wrong, but that the science needs to adapt in light of new results.

The Guardian has some nice coverage of this work, including this introductory video below and the article here. If you have access to Science you can read the article for yourself here.

18ft fish found off the coast in California

An 18ft Oarfish was found off the California coast. This monstrous fish weighed enough that it took 15 people to drag it onshore. It was found by Jasmine Santana of the Catalina Island Marine Institute and represents a unique find. The oarfish is capable of dives of at least 914 meters, making its observation rare.

The telegraph has coverage of the event below, and you can check out the full story here.

Awesome video on the quantum mechanical model of the atom

This TED-Ed talk by George Zaidan and Charles Morton (animated by Karrot Animation) on the model of the atom is fantastic. It presents a clear, accurate and accessible description of the quantum model, which can be a conceptually challenging subject.




For the full TED-Ed talk check out: the uncertain location of electrons by George Zaidan and Charles Morton

Book Recommendation

The Lightness of Being: Mass, Ether, and the Unification of Forces

This book by Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek is a fascinating and frank discussion of the current understanding and developments in subparticle physics and quantum mechanics. Although, the subject matter sounds challenging the approach Dr. Wilczek takes is both easy to follow and charming. His writing style is quirky and accessible, covering a wide variety of topics in quantum mechanics, without ever requiring you to take out a pen and paper. The work is contextualized with historical tidbits and insight full reflections from Dr. Wilczek on how he and his peers came to make their contributes to the quantum mechanical model of the atom and what implications their accomplishments mean for our understanding of the universe.   (image from Amazon.ca)

Microscopes don't need to be expensive.

Science is everywhere and accessibility shouldn't be a matter of money.

Check out this instructable by user Yoshinok on how to make a $10 stand that converts your smartphone into a microscope. They achieved up to 175x magnification! That's enough to visualize large cellular structures.

Why is science important?

Science is one of the most important subjects in the current curriculum, although its not always seen this way. When we learn science and the scientific method we aren't learning simple facts and theories, but deeper life skills. Science teaches us to look beyond the observable and strive to understand the facts and truths at play. It also teaches us that we cannot be inflexible, all theories will come under fire and only by adaption do the strongest theories survive.

For some other opinions and views, physics teacher, Alom Shaha, has assembled this video on the importance of science.



Why is Science Important? from Alom Shaha on Vimeo.