Science Thread

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Soul
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Please insert any type of scientific documentry involving space, technology, nature, physics, math, how things work and how they are made, or basically anything intelligent and interesting we can learn from. If science isn't your thing but you love history, feel free to post historic stuff. Also philosophical ideas or theories consisting of little to no fact are welcome too. I'm making this thread as you know, for science!
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RumiLove
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I just read this yesterday.. Will keep posting more..

Scientists turn atmospheric CO2 into rock

In a breakthrough towards mitigating climate change, scientists have discovered a quick and permanent method to remove human-produced carbon dioxide from the atmosphere - by turning it into harmless rock.

A new study has shown for the first time that the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) can be permanently and rapidly locked away from the atmosphere, by injecting it into volcanic bedrock.

The CO2 reacts with the surrounding rock, forming environmentally benign minerals, researchers said.

Measures to tackle the problem of increasing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change are numerous. One approach is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), where CO2 is physically removed from the atmosphere and trapped underground.

Geoengineers have long explored the possibility of sealing CO2 gas in voids underground, such as in abandoned oil and gas reservoirs, but these are susceptible to leakage. So attention has now turned to the mineralisation of carbon to permanently dispose of CO2.

Until now it was thought that this process would take several hundreds to thousands of years and is therefore not a practical option.

The new study led by Columbia University, University of Iceland, University of Toulouse and Reykjavik Energy has demonstrated that it can take as little as two years.

“Our results show that between 95 and 98 per cent of the injected CO2 was mineralised over the period of less than two years, which is amazingly fast,” said lead author Dr Juerg Matter, from University of Southampton in the UK.

The gas was injected into a deep well at the study site in Iceland. As a volcanic island, Iceland is made up of 90 per cent basalt, a rock rich in calcium, magnesium and iron that are required for carbon mineralisation.

The CO2 is dissolved in water and carried down the well.

On contact with the target storage rocks, at 400-800 metres under the ground, the solution quickly reacts with the surrounding basaltic rock, forming carbonate minerals.

“Carbonate minerals do not leak out of the ground, thus our newly developed method results in permanent and environmentally friendly storage of CO2 emissions,” said Matter.

“On the other hand, basalt is one of the most common rock type on Earth, potentially providing one of the largest CO2 storage capacity,” Matter said.

To monitor what was happening underground, the team also injected ‘tracers’, chemical compounds that literally trace the transport path and reactivity of the CO2.

The researchers discovered that by the time the groundwater had migrated to the monitoring wells, the concentration of the tracers - and therefore the CO2 - had diminished, indicating that mineralisation had occurred.

“Storing CO2 as carbonate minerals significantly enhances storage security which should improve public acceptance of Carbon Capture and Storage as a clim
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xtina
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*curious of the process from turning carbon dioxide to carbonate

I can definitely imagine the chemical steps it would take to turn carbon dioxide to carbonate but thinking of what could possibly be in that would work. The process they spoke about sounds like chromatography but I can't think of any compounds that could be used to add that extra oxygen.

Thank you for sharing!
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RumiLove
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One third of people can’t see Milky Way due to light pollution

The atlas shows that 99 per cent of the U.S. and Europe live under light polluted skies.

One third of humanity cannot see the Milky Way at night due to the luminescent glow of artificial light, say scientists who created a new world atlas of light pollution.

Artificial light pollutes the night sky for more than 80 per cent of the world’s population, researchers said.

The atlas, created by Fabio Falchi and colleagues at the Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute in Italy, displays population and land-based light pollution statistics for all countries, showing the magnitude of the problem for each and facilitating easy comparison of national and global levels of light pollution.

The atlas will be an important tool for studying artificial light as an environmental pollutant with potential health and ecological consequences, researchers said.

It also sets a precise point against which to compare future increases or decreases in global light pollution.

Light pollution is no longer merely an annoyance for astronomers. The artificial brightening of the night sky is profoundly altering a fundamental human experience — the opportunity for each person to view and ponder the sky above in evening hours.

Even small increases in night sky brightness degrade this experience, researchers said.

Despite its global presence and potential environmental risk, light pollution has received relatively little attention.

Unlike other pollutants, such as noise levels in the oceans, artificial light levels are poorly quantified.

Over a decade ago, Falchi and colleagues created the first world atlas of artificial night sky brightness.

In the new study, they updated their original work by creating another, more precise atlas that incorporates new tools and uses new data from a high-resolution satellite.

The atlas shows that 99 per cent of the U.S. and Europe live under light polluted skies. The researchers considered “polluted” to be the level of brightness at which artificial light substantially obscures astronomical observations.

The atlas also unveils that in some places with high levels of light pollution, such as Singapore, people never experience conditions resembling true night because it is masked by artificial twilight; in such places, most of the population lives under skies so bright that their eyes cannot fully adapt to night vision.

On the other hand, countries with populations least affected by light pollution are Chad, the Central African Republic, and Madagascar.

More than three quarters of inhabitants in these places live under pristine, ink-black night sky conditions.

The study was published in the journal Science Advances.


http://m.thehindu.com/news
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RumiLove
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According to Einstein, a particle moving at the speed of light reaches infinite mass. Then why is a photon massless?

There is a fundamental difference between a photon and other material particles. The word ‘particle’ means that it has a measurable rest mass. It could even have a rest mass nearly equal to zero. It has been clearly established that the photons, if at all at rest, would have zero mass and hence, zero momentum. However, photons can never be arrested. This would mean that photons do possess definite momentum by virtue of their motion. They always keep moving with a velocity equal to that of light. Quantum physicists have tried to visualize light as photons because such a notion simply helped them appreciate the phenomena discovered at the end of nineteenth century such as Compton effect, photoelectric effect, etc. Because a photon has a definite energy and definite momentum, which are typically the properties of any particle, photon is considered to represent the particle nature of any electromagnetic radiation. Nonetheless, the claim that a particle moving at the speed of light reaches infinite mass (an impossible feat indeed for a material particle as it can never pick up a speed equalling the speed of light) simply does not apply to photons as , at the first instant, they do not have rest mass at all. The rules of relativity apply to particles or objects (with a definite rest mass) travelling at a speed comparable to that of light (photons).

http://m.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/the-massless-photon/article8718320.ece
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xtina
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Posted by RumiL
According to Einstein, a particle moving at the speed of light reaches infinite mass. Then why is a photon massless?

There is a fundamental difference between a photon and other material particles. The word ‘particle’ means that it has a measurable rest mass. It could even have a rest mass nearly equal to zero. It has been clearly established that the photons, if at all at rest, would have zero mass and hence, zero momentum. However, photons can never be arrested. This would mean that photons do possess definite momentum by virtue of their motion. They always keep moving with a velocity equal to that of light. Quantum physicists have tried to visualize light as photons because such a notion simply helped them appreciate the phenomena discovered at the end of nineteenth century such as Compton effect, photoelectric effect, etc. Because a photon has a definite energy and definite momentum, which are typically the properties of any particle, photon is considered to represent the particle nature of any electromagnetic radiation. Nonetheless, the claim that a particle moving at the speed of light reaches infinite mass (an impossible feat indeed for a material particle as it can never pick up a speed equalling the speed of light) simply does not apply to photons as , at the first instant, they do not have rest mass at all. The rules of relativity apply to particles or objects (with a definite rest mass) travelling at a speed comparable to that of light (photons).

http://m.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/the-massless-photon/article8718320.ece
I'm not an expert but I would assume it's because photons are not merely considered particles but also waves. This has been an ongoing debate in science and was recently "put to rest" by Einstein who was not only known for his theory of relativity but also for his theory on light quanta. Going now into quantum physics. Electromagnetic radiation propagates following linear wave equations, but can only be emitted or absorbed as discrete elements, thus acting as a wave and a particle simultaneously.

But it could also be because in science we get lazy and if the mass of something is negligible then we will usually ignore it.

I would like to go into further explanation but let me do more digging. This is just kinda regurgitation from biophysical chem course and I was not the best student
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RumiLove
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Posted by xtina
Posted by RumiL
According to Einstein, a particle moving at the speed of light reaches infinite mass. Then why is a photon massless?

There is a fundamental difference between a photon and other material particles. The word ‘particle’ means that it has a measurable rest mass. It could even have a rest mass nearly equal to zero. It has been clearly established that the photons, if at all at rest, would have zero mass and hence, zero momentum. However, photons can never be arrested. This would mean that photons do possess definite momentum by virtue of their motion. They always keep moving with a velocity equal to that of light. Quantum physicists have tried to visualize light as photons because such a notion simply helped them appreciate the phenomena discovered at the end of nineteenth century such as Compton effect, photoelectric effect, etc. Because a photon has a definite energy and definite momentum, which are typically the properties of any particle, photon is considered to represent the particle nature of any electromagnetic radiation. Nonetheless, the claim that a particle moving at the speed of light reaches infinite mass (an impossible feat indeed for a material particle as it can never pick up a speed equalling the speed of light) simply does not apply to photons as , at the first instant, they do not have rest mass at all. The rules of relativity apply to particles or objects (with a definite rest mass) travelling at a speed comparable to that of light (photons).

http://m.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/the-massless-photon/article8718320.ece
I'm not an expert but I would assume it's because photons are not merely considered particles but also waves. This has been an ongoing debate in science and was recently "put to rest" by Einstein who was not only known for his theory of relativity but also for his theory on light quanta. Going now into quantum physics. Electromagnetic radiation propagates following linear wave equations, but can only be emitted or absorbed as discrete elements, thus acting as a wave and a particle simultaneously.

But it could also be because in science we get lazy and if the mass of something is negligible then we will usually ignore it.

I would like to go into further explanation but let me do more digging. This is just kinda regurgitation from biophysical chem course and I was not the best student
click to expand

Wow xtina.. Thanks.. So, photon could have mass, only we do not have necessary means to measure it yet ...and could thus be considered a particle?

That's very interesting.
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RumiLove
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Physicists Amplify Light Using Sound on a Silicon Chip

A team of physicists has discovered a way to greatly boost the intensity of light waves on a silicon microchip using the power of sound.

In a study to be published in the journal Nature Photonics, a team led by Peter Rakich describes a new waveguide system that harnesses the ability to precisely control the interaction of light and sound waves. This work solves a long-standing problem of how to utilize this interaction in a robust manner on a silicon chip as the basis for powerful new signal-processing technologies.

The prevalence of silicon chips in today’s technology makes the new system particularly advantageous, the researchers note. “Silicon is the basis for practically all microchip technologies,” said Rakich, who is an assistant professor of applied physics and physics at Yale. “The ability to combine both light and sound in silicon permits us to control and process information in new ways that weren’t otherwise possible.”

Rakich said combining the two capabilities “is like giving a UPS driver an amphibious vehicle — you can find a much more efficient route for delivery when traveling by land or water.”

These opportunities have motivated numerous groups around the world to explore such hybrid technologies on a silicon chip. However, progress was stifled because those devices weren’t efficient enough for practical applications. The Yale group lifted this roadblock using new device designs that prevent light and sound from escaping the circuits.

“Figuring out how to shape this interaction without losing amplification was the real challenge,” said Eric Kittlaus, a graduate student in Rakich’s lab and the study’s first author. “With precise control over the light-sound interaction, we will be able to create devices with immediate practical uses, including new types of lasers.”

The researchers said there are commercial applications for the technology in a number of areas, including fiber-optic communications and signal processing. The system is part of a larger body of research the Rakich lab has conducted for the past five years, focused on designing new microchip technologies for light.

Heedeuk Shin, a former member of the Rakich lab who is now a professor at the Pohang University of Science and Technology in Korea, is the study’s other co-author. “We’re glad to help advance these new technologies, and are very excited to see what the future holds,” Shin said.

The work was supported by the MesoDynamic Architectures program at the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

http://scitechdaily.com/physicists-amplify-light-using-sound-on-a-silicon-chip/

Waowww mystery
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xtina
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Posted by RumiL
Posted by xtina
Posted by RumiL
According to Einstein, a particle moving at the speed of light reaches infinite mass. Then why is a photon massless?

There is a fundamental difference between a photon and other material particles. The word ‘particle’ means that it has a measurable rest mass. It could even have a rest mass nearly equal to zero. It has been clearly established that the photons, if at all at rest, would have zero mass and hence, zero momentum. However, photons can never be arrested. This would mean that photons do possess definite momentum by virtue of their motion. They always keep moving with a velocity equal to that of light. Quantum physicists have tried to visualize light as photons because such a notion simply helped them appreciate the phenomena discovered at the end of nineteenth century such as Compton effect, photoelectric effect, etc. Because a photon has a definite energy and definite momentum, which are typically the properties of any particle, photon is considered to represent the particle nature of any electromagnetic radiation. Nonetheless, the claim that a particle moving at the speed of light reaches infinite mass (an impossible feat indeed for a material particle as it can never pick up a speed equalling the speed of light) simply does not apply to photons as , at the first instant, they do not have rest mass at all. The rules of relativity apply to particles or objects (with a definite rest mass) travelling at a speed comparable to that of light (photons).

http://m.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/the-massless-photon/article8718320.ece
I'm not an expert but I would assume it's because photons are not merely considered particles but also waves. This has been an ongoing debate in science and was recently "put to rest" by Einstein who was not only known for his theory of relativity but also for his theory on light quanta. Going now into quantum physics. Electromagnetic radiation propagates following linear wave equations, but can only be emitted or absorbed as discrete elements, thus acting as a wave and a particle simultaneously.

But it could also be because in science we get lazy and if the mass of something is negligible then we will usually ignore it.

I would like to go into further explanation but let me do more digging. This is just kinda regurgitation from biophysical chem course and I was not the best student
Wow xtina.. Thanks.. So, photon could have mass, only we do not have necessary means to measure it yet ...and could thus be considered a particle?

That's very interesting.
click to expand

Well in theory it's both a particle and
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xtina
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@rumiL so when it's travel through space and matter it is a wave. As visible light (aka photons) is found on the electromagnetic spectrum. But when it's being emitted from the sun, fire, incandescent light bulbs it is a particle. When it's being absorbed by plants, animals, metal, etc it's a particle. Hope that makes it more clear. The naming is not so much important because it's just another form of categorizing and measuring.
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xtina
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Posted by RumiL
Physicists Amplify Light Using Sound on a Silicon Chip

A team of physicists has discovered a way to greatly boost the intensity of light waves on a silicon microchip using the power of sound.

In a study to be published in the journal Nature Photonics, a team led by Peter Rakich describes a new waveguide system that harnesses the ability to precisely control the interaction of light and sound waves. This work solves a long-standing problem of how to utilize this interaction in a robust manner on a silicon chip as the basis for powerful new signal-processing technologies.

The prevalence of silicon chips in today’s technology makes the new system particularly advantageous, the researchers note. “Silicon is the basis for practically all microchip technologies,” said Rakich, who is an assistant professor of applied physics and physics at Yale. “The ability to combine both light and sound in silicon permits us to control and process information in new ways that weren’t otherwise possible.”

Rakich said combining the two capabilities “is like giving a UPS driver an amphibious vehicle — you can find a much more efficient route for delivery when traveling by land or water.”

These opportunities have motivated numerous groups around the world to explore such hybrid technologies on a silicon chip. However, progress was stifled because those devices weren’t efficient enough for practical applications. The Yale group lifted this roadblock using new device designs that prevent light and sound from escaping the circuits.

“Figuring out how to shape this interaction without losing amplification was the real challenge,” said Eric Kittlaus, a graduate student in Rakich’s lab and the study’s first author. “With precise control over the light-sound interaction, we will be able to create devices with immediate practical uses, including new types of lasers.”

The researchers said there are commercial applications for the technology in a number of areas, including fiber-optic communications and signal processing. The system is part of a larger body of research the Rakich lab has conducted for the past five years, focused on designing new microchip technologies for light.

Heedeuk Shin, a former member of the Rakich lab who is now a professor at the Pohang University of Science and Technology in Korea, is the study’s other co-author. “We’re glad to help advance these new technologies, and are very excited to see what the future holds,” Shin said.

The work was supported by the MesoDynamic Architectures program at the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

http://scitechdaily.com/physicists-amplify-light-using-sound-on-a-silicon-chip/

Waowww mystery
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kissmygrits
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This thread is lovely! I thought this is cool.

http://www.thenational.scot/news/scientists-amazed-at-cannae-drive---the-fuel-free-spaceship-technology.22543



A PROPULSION device that could revolutionise space travel and which appears to defy the laws of physics is set to be tested in space.

It is claimed that the Cannae Drive – a type of RF resonant cavity thruster – operates without fuel and tests on it and its big sister the EM Drive, have confounded scientists.

Now the North American Space Agency (NASA) is to test the device on a satellite mission next year.

The Cannae Drive was invented by chemical engineer Guido Fetta, and the company website says: “Cannae’s technology requires no on-board propellant to generate thrust and will provide station-keeping for a cubesat [a miniaturised satellite for space research] flying below a 150-mile orbital altitude. The demonstration satellite will remain in this orbit for a minimum of six months.”

Cannae has formed another company Theseus Space to work with its commercial partners to carry out the technology demonstration.

The EM and Cannae drives are so alike that nobody can clearly articulate how they work differently. It’s claimed that by using only a small amount of electricity, their design and the make-up of the universe, they can create thrust.

NASA, along with teams from several other agencies, have tested the drives and measured a small amount of force in the predicted direction, although they could not explain what had created it.

While few have claimed the drives actually work, as yet nobody has been able to prove beyond doubt that they don't.