This Is The Follow-up To Squine And Cosquine, And I Find Students Find It Really Cool. Are There Any

Physicists have broken the record for the most accurate clock ever built

This could redefine what a second is.

Physicists in Germany have built the most accurate timepiece on Earth, achieving unprecedented levels of accuracy with a new atomic clock that keeps time according to the movements of ytterbium ions.

Called an optical single-ion clock, the device works by measuring the vibrational frequency of ytterbium ions as they oscillate back and forth hundreds of trillions times per second between two different energy levels. These ions are trapped within an ‘optical lattice’ of laser beams that allows scientists to count the number of ytterbium 'ticks’ per second to measure time so accurately, the clock won’t lose or gain a second in several billion years.

Until very recently, our most accurate time-keepers were caesium atomic clocks - devices that contain a 'pendulum’ of atoms that are excited into resonance by microwave radiation. It’s on these clocks that the official definition of the second - the Standard International (SI) unit of time - is based.

Women are better coders, research shows

Researchers from the computer science departments at California Polytechnic State University and North Carolina State University gathered data from nearly 1.4 million GitHub users, and the results are in: Women are better at writing code. The researchers also found proof of a specific bias.

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Where did the stars go?

One day, you find time to get out of the clutches of your work life and you decide to gaze at the stars. 

Something which you used to do when you were a kid. 

But the city life with all its glory has diverted you to other ‘fun’ things.

But to your amazement you find that the density of stars has drastically decreased.

‘That’s preposterous’- you say to yourself. That can’t be true.

You are positive that it has something to do with you aging.

You decide to go to your eye doctor and do a thorough check up. The doctor concludes that your eye sight is perfect.

You are delighted,  knowing that your eye sight is perfect and that you are going to see those stars again. You spend all day lamenting about it. 

You crave for the starry night sky. And you are sure it would look like so :

So, the following night you go to the terrace to rejoice at the sight. But yet see that the sky is not starry at all as you had marveled. 

In fact, there is a stark difference between what you had in mind and what you observe.

You get increasingly concerned about it. You ask a few people around and you find out that the answer to this mysterious phenomenon is Light Pollution..

And you start to explore this new bizarre form of pollution.

What is Light Pollution?

Alteration of natural light levels in the outdoor environment owing to artificial light sources.

What does it do?

The impact of light pollution is to reduce our eye’s limiting magnitude. That means that we can see fewer and fewer stars.

The differences in the number of stars that can be seen due to varying levels of background light pollution.

Light pollution competes with starlight in the night sky for urban residents, interferes with astronomical observatories, and, like any other form of pollution, disrupts ecosystems and has adverse health effects.

Light pollution is a side effect of industrial civilization. Its sources include building exterior and interior lighting, advertising, commercial properties, offices, factories, streetlights, and illuminated sporting venues. 

How can I prevent it?

(Light Pollution and How to Reduce It)

The solution does not involve curtailing nightlife, hampering the nighttime economy or compromising safety. It just requires directing lights where they’re needed and eliminating waste.

Here what you can do prevent light pollution.

1) Only turn on outdoor lights when needed—or install motion sensors.

2) Point the lights downward and outfit them with “shields” to prevent light from traveling sideways. The goal is to shine them only where illumination is wanted—not in people’s eyes or on other people’s property (a case of “light trespass”).

3) Lower the wattage of your bulbs and put them on dimmers. Bright lights and dark shadows don’t improve safety, but reduce it.

4) Close curtains at night to keep indoor light in. If you live in a multi-story building, use black-out curtains to prevent bird crashes.

And, of course, please use energy-efficient lights to cut global warming emissions even more than you’ll be doing already.

Inspiration :

Here’s what the night sky looks now, with light pollution.

And here’s how it will look like without it.

This post is to educate all the followers of the blog about Light Pollution, and raise awareness about it.

“Stars can’t shine without Darkness”

and hence i urge you to do your part to curbing Light Pollution.

Have a good day :)

PC: NASA, classroomclipart, Umut Siliman, eschooltoday,medscape

Scientists extend an atom’s lifetime with a mirror

Scientists from Chalmers University of Technology have been able to extend the lifetime of an artificial atom, allowing it to remain charged for up to ten times longer. They achieved this by placing the artificial atom in front of a short circuit, which acts as a mirror. The distance between the atom and the mirror affects how long the atom “lives,” which is the time from when an atom is charged to when it returns to its ground state.

Research team leader and Professor of Physics Per Delsing says, “We can vary the lifetime of the atom by changing the distance between the atom and the mirror. If we place the atom at a certain distance from the mirror the atom’s lifetime is extended by such a length that we are not even able to observe the atom.”

Know more at: http://futurism.com/links/scientists-extend-an-atoms-lifetime-with-a-mirror/

How football relies on human evolution

Here are some insights about human evolution that will change the way you watch the Superbowl game. According to UC San Francisco evolutionary biologist Nathan Young, Ph.D., our species has evolved a specialized shoulder blade that can be used like a slingshot: storing energy in the windup, then rapidly releasing it in a powerful and precise fling.

And neuroscientist Philip Sabes, Ph.D. explains what is required of the brain in order to actually dominate the field. 

Black (Hole) Friday!

It’s Black Friday, but for us, it’s the 3rd annual Black Hole Friday! Today, we’ll post awesome images and information about black holes.

A black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light cannot get out. The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into a tiny space…sort of like all of those shoppers trying to fit into the department stores today.

Because no light can get out, people can’t see black holes. They are invisible. Space telescopes with special tools can help find black holes (sort of how those websites help you find shopping deals).

How big are black holes? Black holes can be big or small…just like the lines in all of the stores today. Scientists think the smallest black holes are as small as just one atom. These black holes are very tiny but have the mass of a large mountain! Mass is the amount of matter, or “stuff”, in an object.

So how do black holes form? Scientists think the smallest black holes formed when the universe began. Stellar black holes are made when the center of a very big star falls upon itself, or collapses. When this happens, it causes a supernova. A supernova is an exploding star that blasts part of the star into space. Scientists think supermassive black holes were made at the same time as the galaxy they are in.

For more fun facts and information about black holes, be sure to follow us on social media.

Four Common Wing Shapes in Birds

There are four general wing shapes that are common in birds: Passive soaring, active soaring, elliptical wings, and high-speed wings.

Passive soaring wings have long primary feathers that spread out, creating “slots” that allow the bird to catch vertical columns of hot air called “thermals” and rise higher in the air.  Examples of birds with this wing type include eagles, most hawks, and storks. These Bald Eagles are classic examples of birds with passive soaring wings:

Active soaring wings are long and narrow, allowing birds to soar for a long time. However, these birds are much more dependent on wind currents than passive soaring birds. Examples of birds with this wing type are albarosses, gulls, and gannets. These California Gulls show good examples of the active soaring wing type:

Elliptical wings are good for short bursts of high speed. While they allow high speed, the speed cannot be maintained. Examples of birds that have this wing type are crows, ravens, blackbirds, sparrows, and thrushes such as the American Robin. These Common Ravens are good examples of birds with elliptical wings:

High-speed wings are long and thin, but not nearly as long as birds with active soaring wings. As the name suggests, birds with this wing type are incredibly fast, but unlike those with elliptical wings, these birds can maintain their speed for a while. Examples of birds that have this wing type are swifts, ducks, falcons, terns, and sandpipers. This Forster’s Tern is a good example of a bird with high-speed wings.

(http://www.birds.cornell.edu/education/kids/books/wingshapes)

latest photos of Pluto and it’s moon.

Meet Surena III: University of Tehran Unveils Its New Humanoid Robot

Researchers from the University of Tehran unveiled the new generation of their humanoid robot called Surena III. The robot stands 1.9 meters tall (6.2 feet) and weighs 98 kilograms (216 lb). It is also  equipped with numerous sensors that includes a Kinect-based 3D vision module, and is powered by 31 servomotors. Surena III is capable of walking up and down ramps and stairs, and along irregular surfaces up to a speed of .2m/s (about 8 inches a second).

So perhaps the robot won’t be running any marathons anytime soon, but it’s still pretty remarkable. Plus, the robot was designed for other purposes besides speed.

Read more at: http://futurism.com/links/meet-surena-iii-university-of-tehran-unveils-its-new-humanoid-robot/