Category: Science

As reported on Wired. BY AATISH BHATIA The uncertainty principle says that you can’t know certain properties of a quantum system at the same time. For example, you can’t simultaneously know the position of a particle and its momentum. But what does that imply about reality? If we could peer behind the curtains of quantum theory, would we find that objects really do have well defined positions and momentums? Or does the uncertainty principle mean that,…

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As reported on Engadget. BY JON FINGAS Ultrasonic levitation has been possible for awhile, but it’s not very practical when objects must typically hover along a single axis. University of Tokyo researchers Yoichi Ochiai, Takayuki Hoshi and Jun Rekimoto have cleared this hurdle with an ultrasonic array that can push items around in 3D space. The machine creates a focal point from a three-dimensional standing wave; users just have to alter the wave’s properties to move whatever is caught…

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As reported on The Verge. By Rich McCormick The US National Weather Service’s Global Forecast System keeps track of the world’s weather. It’s an incredibly valuable repository of information, but its data, shown in DayGlo charts peppered with numbers, isn’t the easiest to visualize without a degree in meteorology. That’s where the Earth Wind Map can come in handy. It takes the the Global Forecast System’s data — updated every three hours — and applies it to a zoomable map.…

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As reported on Wired. BY NATALIE WOLCHOVER Image: Rick Leche/Flickr   Physicists reported this week the discovery of a jewel-like geometric object that dramatically simplifies calculations of particle interactions and challenges the notion that space and time are fundamental components of reality. Original storyreprinted with permission from Quanta Magazine, an editorially independent division ofSimonsFoundation.org whose mission is to enhance public understanding of science by covering research developments and trends in mathematics and the physical and life sciences.…

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As reported on Engadget. BY JON TURI  It bears a passing resemblance to the vinyl record, but this futuristic concept was envisioned as more than just sound on a platter. The recording method involved electron beams and lasers; the base material was a coated, transparent plastic disc; and you’d get both an eyeful and an earful from the end product. Its intended goal in the market may have initially flubbed, but its core design has been…

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