Language · Media · Problem

Enough cat in a box! – an isolation setup

I’ve cited Nick Lucid’s Science Asylum YouTube channel over the years. His latest video is a wonderful take on all the quantum cat clickbait which I’ve noticed lately – another nostalgic set of pieces on Schrödinger’s legendary thought experiment. Much misunderstood [1]. A favorite of fabulists (and mystics). Well, Nick nails the reality. Yet, I… Continue reading Enough cat in a box! – an isolation setup

Language · Problem

Reframing spacetime – a stitch of events or pitch of time

In quantum field theory, if gravity isn’t a fundamental force, how does it emerge? This article describes a theory of deep quantum electromagnetic interactions. Photon transactions (emission / absorption) populate a relational network of events which structures spacetime. According to the theory, each transaction gives rise to a pair of events in spacetime, effectively stitching… Continue reading Reframing spacetime – a stitch of events or pitch of time

General · Media

Senior health in space – longevity in freefall

The romance of living in space and space travel skyrocketed as I was growing up. Post WWII. Sputnik, Disney’s Man in Space, NASA’s man on the moon, Star Trek, … classic sci-fi books … Maybe back then millionaires dreamed of retiring in space (as a refuge from the Cold War). Now maybe some billionaires dream… Continue reading Senior health in space – longevity in freefall

Book · Language · Media · Problem

Advancing QFT visualization – further demystification?

[Draft 1-6-2025 see comments for updates] Yeah, quantum physics is weird. What might be called Weirdness 1.0 (QM), 1.1 (QED), 1.2 (QCD), etc., as I’ve written about, have embedded frozen tropes in the popular psyche. But can’t we do better? When physicists talk about analogies – use everyday language (terms) to talk about the quantum… Continue reading Advancing QFT visualization – further demystification?

Language · Problem

Boltzmann brain RIP?

There are some rarified (typically mathematical) arguments that random processes – given an infinite scope & time – will “almost surely” produce any specific artifact spontaneously – a complex thing in its entirety, rather than its components. Such claims strike me as mythic (at best). Yet, naturally, the meaning and emergence (evolution) of consciousness (conscious… Continue reading Boltzmann brain RIP?

Book · Film · Media · TV

The romance of FTL, a stark reality

[Draft] The beckoning frontier … the adventure … “not in my lifetime, you say … or for generations” … and live like what? … well, maybe I’ll pass on that Golden Ticket … Faster-than-light travel (FTL) is a common plot device in science fiction, with a long history in books, short stories, drama series, and… Continue reading The romance of FTL, a stark reality

General · Language · Problem

How dark is the universe – optically?

How dark is the universe? Optically – for visible light. Far away from star light and reflected dust. Here’s an interesting perspective on electromagnetic (EM) cosmic energy density – just for optical wavelengths. And without any clarification of fuzzy bounds for a galaxy’s reach. The entire electromagnetic spectrum is another story. • Live Science >… Continue reading How dark is the universe – optically?