Category: Language

General · Language · Media · Problem

Reality of fields, language of particles – the Standard Model

John Healy4 Comments

[Communicating science] To understand contemporary physics, particularly quantum theory, the Standard Model is essential. This article includes an excellent video overview: • Quanta Magazine > Math Meets QFT > “A Video Tour of the Standard Model” by Kevin Hartnett, Senior Writer/Editor (July 16, 2021) (quote) Physicists would like to move beyond the Standard Model to… Continue reading Reality of fields, language of particles – the Standard Model

Diagram · General · Language · Problem

A particle by any other name?

John Healy2 Comments

[“What’s changed in the last ~50 years” series] Fundamental particles have properties; but not due to any constituents (cf. Feynman’s dilemma for an electron’s charge [1]). So, mathematical patterns of … localized “knots” (tangles or twists as in Möbius strips) – particular symmetries – of space-time energy? A landscape of colliding (interacting) ripples … How… Continue reading A particle by any other name?

General · Language · Media

Big sim’s – visualizing the universe!

John Healy12 Comments

Taking all-sky surveys / maps to another 10^n level of visualization … So much of modern cosmology depends on the discovery of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation in 1965. Wiki: “Any proposed model of the universe must explain this radiation.” Since then, advances in the tools to measure and analyze that faint, relic radiation… Continue reading Big sim’s – visualizing the universe!

All-sky surveys – visualizing our dynamic galaxy
General · Language · Photo

All-sky surveys – visualizing our dynamic galaxy

John Healy4 Comments

Advances in all-sky surveys permit better visualization of the motions and dynamics inside our galaxy. And provide a better understanding of the evolution of the Milky Way. X-ray all-sky surveys As noted in this Space.com article, while “optical telescopes are much easier to design than X-ray telescopes … some of the most interesting objects in… Continue reading All-sky surveys – visualizing our dynamic galaxy

General · Language · Problem

Stellar alchemy – more than one way to get heavy?

John Healy1 Comment

[“What’s changed in the last 50 years” series] The lightness of our being actually depends on heaviness. That is, the physics of heavier elements. Our biology, life itself. So, looking back decades to high school (or even college) chemistry class … The Periodic Table is so much more interesting now. A deeper understanding via quantum… Continue reading Stellar alchemy – more than one way to get heavy?

Classical wave packet Helgoland? – escape from quantum island
Book · General · Language

Helgoland? – escape from quantum island

John Healy2 Comments

[“Quantum foundations” series] Carlo Rovelli’s new book Helgoland – Making Sense of the Quantum Revolution is in the news cycle this week, with promo’s and reviews. (Probably more comments later.) (quote) Helgoland is a book by Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli. It is about quantum mechanics and its relational interpretation. The title refers to Werner Heisenberg’s… Continue reading Helgoland? – escape from quantum island

General · Language · Problem

FRBs – whence galactic epic flashes of energy?

John Healy3 Comments

Epic events catch our attention. Spectacular stellar events have attracted attention since ancient times. Some events, however, cannot be observed with our eyes (visible light). Radio sources. And massive spikes in radio energy are telling astronomers something interesting. • NASA > “Hubble Tracks Down Fast Radio Bursts to Galaxies’ Spiral Arms” (May 20,2021) [Includes YouTube… Continue reading FRBs – whence galactic epic flashes of energy?

General · Language · Photo

Imaging atoms – seeing the impossibly small

John Healy3 Comments

When not merely obscured in our field of view, things which we cannot see – that are essentially invisible – often may be either impossibly distant or impossibly small (among other factors). That’s why we have telescopes and microscopes. At cosmic scales, imaging a black hole was like seeing something spanning “the size of a period… Continue reading Imaging atoms – seeing the impossibly small

The g-2 experiment at Fermilab Evidence for new physics? > Fermilab’s Muon g-2 results announced
General · Language · Media · Site · Story

Evidence for new physics? > Fermilab’s Muon g-2 results announced

John Healy1 Comment

As noted in comments for my “The future of (particle) physics?” post, the first results from Fermilab’s Muon g-2 experiment are a big deal for physics. Waiting for years. Highly anticipated. As expected, today these results were officially released. Fermilab itself released an excellent YouTube video visualization which includes background on the project and experiment… Continue reading Evidence for new physics? > Fermilab’s Muon g-2 results announced