Reginald L. Goodwin's Posts

Given The Boot...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 24, 2017 at 8:06am

This Hubble Space Telescope image shows a quasar (bright object at center) and its host galaxy, 3C186 (the diffuse object behind it). Scientists think 3C186’s central black hole was ejected from the galaxy’s core by gravitational waves. Credit: NASA, ESA, and M. Chiaberge (STScI/ESA)

Topics: Black Holes, Cosmology, General Relativity, Gravitational Waves

A supermassive black hole heftier than 1 billion suns has been ejected from the core of its galaxy by gravitational waves, a new study suggests.

The monster black hole has already zoomed 35,000 light-years away from its galaxy's center, farther than Earth and its sun are from the core of our own Milky Way. And the behemoth is currently traveling outward at 4.7 million mph (7.6 million km/h) — fast enough for the black hole to escape its galaxy completely in 20 million years, researchers said.

“We estimate that it took the equivalent energy of 100 million supernovae exploding simultaneously to jettison the black hole,” study co-author Stefano Bianchi, from Roma Tre University in Italy, said in a statement.

Space.com: Gravitational Waves Boot Gigantic Black Hole from Galaxy's CoreMike Wall

Transparency...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 23, 2017 at 5:30am

Does the brain behave like a spin glass? (Courtesy: Shutterstock / Phonlamai Photo)

Topics: Biology, Biophysics, Neuroscience, Particle Physics

Spin-glass-like states that occur in models of neural networks can provide important insights into states of low and high brain activity that have been observed in mammals. That is the claim of a team of theoretical biophysicists in Spain who are the first to show that disordered states in neurological networks could have a functional role in living brains.

In familiar magnetic materials such as ferromagnets, the interaction between individual spin magnetic moments causes all of the spins to point in the same direction of magnetization. In spin-glass states, the interaction between spins does not allow individual spins to point in the same direction as their neighbours. This leads to "frustration", whereby no direction of magnetization exists and the spins point in random directions.

Brains are not magnetic systems and their working cells – neurons – do not resemble magnetic moments, but mathematically they behave in a similar manner. This is because neurons also have a binary variable – firing or not firing – which is similar to the up or down quantum states of spin. Neurons are also linked by synapses in a way that is similar to how magnetic spins interact with each other. As a result, a neural network in which all of the neurons are firing (or not firing) is similar to a magnetic material in which all of the spins are all pointing up (or down).

Physics World: Spin glass provides insight into brain activity, Michael Allen

Mars, Lava and Dinosaurs...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 22, 2017 at 10:26am

This digital-image mosaic of Mars' Tharsis plateau shows the extinct volcano Arsia Mons. It was assembled from images that the Viking 1 Orbiter took during its 1976-1980 working life at Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL/USGS

Topics: Mars, NASA, Planetary Science, Space Exploration

New NASA research reveals that the giant Martian shield volcano Arsia Mons produced one new lava flow at its summit every 1 to 3 million years during the final peak of activity. The last volcanic activity there ceased about 50 million years ago—around the time of Earth's Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction, when large numbers of our planet's plant and animal species (including dinosaurs) went extinct.

Located just south of Mars' equator, Arsia Mons is the southernmost member of a trio of broad, gently sloping shield volcanoes collectively known as Tharsis Montes. Arsia Mons was built up over billions of years, though the details of its lifecycle are still being worked out. The most recent volcanic activity is thought to have taken place in the caldera—the bowl-shaped depression at the top—where 29 volcanic vents have been identified. Until now, it's been difficult to make a precise estimate of when this volcanic field was active.

"We estimate that the peak activity for the volcanic field at the summit of Arsia Mons probably occurred approximately 150 million years ago—the late Jurassic period on Earth—and then died out around the same time as Earth's dinosaurs," said Jacob Richardson, a postdoctoral researcher at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "It's possible, though, that the last volcanic vent or two might have been active in the past 50 million years, which is very recent in geological terms."

Richardson is presenting the findings on March 20, 2017, at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas. The study also is published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters.

Phys.org: Mars volcano, Earth's dinosaurs went extinct about the same timeElizabeth Zubritsky

Deciphering Auroras...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 21, 2017 at 7:54am

An aurora viewed from the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

Topics: Electromagnetism, High Energy Physics, Plasma Physics

Auroras have long dazzled sky watchers but befuddled physicists. Via a mechanism that remains unclear, electrons get yanked away from the magnetosphere and slammed into the ionosphere, where their collisions with atoms and molecules engender green, red, and blue light. (See the Quick Study by Bob Strangeway, Physics Today, July 2008, page 68.) The leading culprits for scooping up and accelerating auroral electrons are Alfvén waves, oscillations of the ions in a plasma that propagate along magnetic field lines. The oscillations can be triggered by magnetic storms, which often portend auroral displays. And at least in theory, the waves should be able to propel electrons in their path.

Auroras: The sun sends us more than heat and light; it sends lots of other energy and small particles our way. The protective magnetic field around Earth shields us from most of the energy and particles, and we don’t even notice them.

But the sun doesn’t send the same amount of energy all the time. There is a constant streaming solar wind and there are also solar storms. During one kind of solar storm called a coronal mass ejection, the sun burps out a huge bubble of electrified gas that can travel through space at high speeds. Source: NASA

Alfvén waves: In plasma physics, an Alfvén wave, named after Hannes Alfvén, is a type of magnetohydrodynamic wave in which ions oscillate in response to a restoring force provided by an effective tension on the magnetic field lines. Wikipedia

Physics Today: A step toward deciphering auroras, Andrew Grant

Poquito...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 20, 2017 at 7:55am

A schematic illustration showing how differences in the distribution of dark matter (red) alter the spin rates of modern-day spiral galaxies (left) and spiral galaxies from the early universe (right). Modern spiral galaxies tend to spin faster than their counterparts in the distant, earlier universe due to greater concentrations of dark matter near their centers. Credit: ESO/L. Calçada

Topics: Astronomy, Astrophysics, Cosmology, Dark Matter

Although the invisible substance known as dark matter dominates galaxies nowadays, it was apparently only a minor ingredient of galaxies in the early universe, a new study finds.

This new finding sheds light on how galaxies and their mysterious "haloes" of dark matter have changed over time, researchers said.

Dark matter is thought to make up about 84 percent of the matter in the universe. Although dark matter is invisible, its presence can be inferred by its gravitational effects on visible matter. For instance, previous work discovered that the outer parts of galactic disks whirl faster than expected around the cores of those galaxies. These findings make sense if one assumes that "haloes" of dark matter envelop those galaxies and gravitationally pull at their outer regions. [The Search for Dark Matter in Pictures]

Now, the researchers unexpectedly find that in the early universe, dark matter played a much smaller role in galaxies than previously thought. The scientists detailed their findings in the March 16 issue of the journal Nature.

Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile, the researchers examined six massive, star-forming galaxies from the early universe during the peak of galaxy formation 10 billion years ago. They analyzed the rotation of these galaxies to calculate how much dark matter they possessed.

Scientific American: Dark Matter Did Not Dominate Early Galaxies, Charles Q. Choi

Inevitability, Sports Metaphors and Republics...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 17, 2017 at 8:43am

Image Source

Topics: Civics, History, Politics, Research, Science

History matters. It is "2 a: a chronological record of significant events (as affecting a nation or institution) often including an explanation of their causes, a history of Japan; 3: a branch of knowledge that records and explains past events, medieval history." Merriam-Webster

The more dependent we are on technology, the more we are flippant on history and expertise. Reading (sadly, on the decline) for example, is an interrogation of history, whether fiction or nonfiction, as some basis of an understanding of past events has to go into the crafting of even fanciful tales. Backgrounds are structured such that the verisimilitude seems plausible; if the author has done their work, the realistic realm pulls you to the last page of the book, whether papyrus, I-Pad, Kindle or Nook. If it's a good read, you feel accomplished, better for the effort and time spent away from passive, frequently banal entertainment media. Above all, one feels a sense of empowerment.

Our knowledge of civics has been reduced educationally to multiple testing choices a, b, c, d and e (the last usually, all of the above) and in practice "us versus them"; we won, you lost. The Common Good is virtually unknown as it has no reality show or equivalent entertainment platform. MSNBC seems recently captivated with sports metaphors: Chuck Todd with basketball and Chris Matthews with boxing.

Over the decades I've been voting since 1980, that attitude has solidified. "We The People" have been grouped by tribal affiliations, we vote for "who we like," the current anointed-by-God politician we tweet, and will likely never meet. Consensus, compromise and reconciliation is to be avoided; conciliation is betrayal. Our self-governance is now so toxic, old and vile prejudices open us up to manipulation; our pride allows us to self-delude and mask from the con that we have been duped by extra-national, nefarious agents and complicit wolves within.

I've mentioned my excellent high school Social Studies/Civics teacher Van Bullock. The other instructors I received civics lessons from were my high school JROTC and college AFROTC instructors. Senior Master Sergeant Wilkins at North Forsyth High School used to emphasize that democratic republics can only exist in educated populations. In insular environments such as these, one can assume your classmates are getting some version of the same teaching. I now have my doubts.

Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny warns that republics are not "automatic" nor are they inevitable. It requires a buy-in from the governed, a fundamental knowledge of the mechanism of republics and the citizen's responsibilities in keeping them going. One simple aspect is voting; the other is holding our elected officials accountable for their actions towards their constituency, not their donors or the donor class. That alludes to other forms of government that have the labels: autocracy, authoritarianism, corporatism, kleptocracy, oligarchy, totalitarianism that are the basis of very haunting dystopian novels of hopeless futures, Orwell's "boot stamping on a human face forever." Our lethargy in this country and overseas is due to the near instantaneous access to information, resulting in a citizenry in western nations that would "rather not think about it," or in the spirit of Sinclair Lewis, "It Can't Happen Here." In his prescient essay in 2004, Chris Hedges begs to differ *:

* The movement seeks the imprint of law and science. It must discredit the rational disciplines that are the pillars of the Enlightenment to abolish the liberal polity of the Enlightenment. This corruption of science and law is vital in promoting the doctrine. Creationism, or “intelligent design,” like Eugenics for the Nazis, must be introduced into the mainstream as a valid scientific discipline to destroy the discipline of science itself. This is why the Christian Right is working to bring test cases to ensure that school textbooks include “intelligent design” and condemn gay marriage.

The drive by the Christian Right to include crackpot theories in scientific or legal debate is part of the campaign to destroy dispassionate and honest intellectual inquiry. Facts become interchangeable with opinions. An understanding of reality is not to be based on the elaborate gathering of facts and evidence. The ideology alone is true. Facts that get in the way of the ideology can be altered. Lies, in this worldview, become true. Hannah Arendt called this effort “nihilistic relativism” although a better phrase might be collective insanity.

Failure to question alternative facts (lies) or stretched truths, or play by any fairness or rules, the lazy put their cares in the hands of one strong man or woman: as long as "their team" wins.

When sports loyalties becomes the foundation for the administration of a republic, it becomes a zero-sum game. Whatever you need to do to WIN is then justifiable, from secret, ultimately disastrous raids decided flippantly over dinner; deflated footballs to collusion with governments that are not looking at one party or another anymore than Al Qaeda or ISIL/ISIS has a preference of one western nation over another, or the particular Melanin hue of their respective babies.

In each case, they call themselves "us" and we, E Pluribus Unum... are "them."

“To abandon facts is to abandon freedom.” —Timothy Snyder

Image Source

BEAM...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 16, 2017 at 9:22am

This artist's concept depicts the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), constructed by Bigelow Aerospace, attached to the International Space Station (ISS). The BEAM will be launched to the space station later this year. Credits: Bigelow Aerospace

Topics: Mars, Moon, NASA, Space Exploration, Spaceflight

The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) is an expandable habitat technology demonstration for the International Space Station. Expandable habitats greatly decrease the amount of transport volume for future space missions. These “expandables” require minimal payload volume on a rocket, but expand after being deployed in space to potentially provide a comfortable area for astronauts to live and work. They also provide a varying degree of protection from solar and cosmic radiation, space debris, atomic oxygen, ultraviolet radiation and other elements of the space environment.

The journey to Mars is complex and filled with challenges that NASA and its partners are continuously working to solve. Before sending the first astronauts to the Red Planet, several rockets filled with cargo and supplies will be deployed to await the crews’ arrival. Expandable modules, which are lower-mass and lower-volume systems than metal habitats, can increase the efficiency of cargo shipments, possibly reducing the number of launches needed and overall mission costs. [1]

* * * * *

Bigelow Aerospace founder Robert Bigelow‘s company makes in-space habitats. One (the BEAM adds 16 cubic meters of living area to the ISS) is now attached to the International Space Station and he and his company are developing permanent, stand-alone habitats to serve as private space stations in orbit around the Earth, ready to house private astronauts.

Bigelow has talked with United Launch Alliance Chief Executive Tory Bruno about using the company's Atlas V 552 rocket, which has an extra-wide payload fairing, to deliver the B330 into orbit.

United Launch Alliance is developing an advanced upper-stage vehicle, ACES, to provide in-space propulsion.

Two ACES in tandem could be used to move the B330 into a low lunar orbit. They orbit within 75 kilometers of the lunar surface.

Bigelow has spoken SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell about using the company's Dragon 2 spacecraft to transport astronauts to the B330 in deep space.

By 2020, NASA and commercial astronauts could be living and working in lunar orbit inside a functional space station. [2]

1. NASA: Advanced Exploration Systems: Bigelow Expandable Activity Module2. Next Big Future: Bigelow Aerospace offers plan for an expandable space station orbiting the moon by 2020

ProtoDUNE...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 15, 2017 at 6:38am

The outer (warm) vessel for the single-phase protoDUNE at CERN. The red steel frame provides support for the cold-membrane cryostat, the detector, and approximately 800 tonnes of liquid argon. Image credit: M Brice/CERN.

Topics: CERN, Large Hadron Collider, LHC, Neutrinos, Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Theoretical Physics

This 11 m-high structure with thick steel walls will soon contain a prototype detector for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), a major international project based in the US for studying neutrinos and proton decay. It is being assembled in conjunction with CERN’s Neutrino Platform, which was established in 2014 to support neutrino experiments hosted in Japan and the US (CERN Courier July/August 2016 p21), and is pictured here in December as the roof of the structure was lowered into place. Another almost identical structure is under construction nearby and will house a second prototype detector for DUNE. Both are being built at CERN’s new “EHN1” test facility, which was completed last year at the north area of the laboratory’s Prévessin site.

DUNE, which is due to start operations in the next decade, will address key outstanding questions about neutrinos. In addition to determining the ordering of the neutrino masses, it will search for leptonic CP violation by precisely measuring differences between the oscillations of muon-type neutrinos and antineutrinos into electron-type neutrinos and antineutrinos, respectively (CERN Courier December 2015 p19). To do so, DUNE will consist of two advanced detectors placed in an intense neutrino beam produced at Fermilab’s Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF). One will record particle interactions near the source of the beam before the neutrinos have had time to oscillate, while a second, much larger detector will be installed deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Laboratory in Lead, South Dakota, 1300 km away.

CERN Courier: ProtoDUNE revealed, Matthew Chalmers

Pi In The Sky Day...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 14, 2017 at 8:00am

The NASA Pi Day Challenge is an illustrated math problem set that gets students solving some of the same problems NASA scientists and engineers must solve to explore space.

Topics: Education, Einstein, Humor, Mathematics, NASA, STEM

Math Symbol	Pronounce Like
e^x, dx, dx	e to the x dee ex, dee ex
e^x, dx, dx	e to the x dee ex, dee ex
Cosine	kōˌsīn
Secant	sēˌkant,ˈor sēˌkənt
Tangent	tanjənt
Sine	sīn (long "i" sound)
3.14159...	three point one four one five nine

YAY TEAM!

The engineer's cheer (supposedly from MIT). Lowercase "e" is the natural logarithm (also an irrational number), "dx" in Calculus defines small, infinitesimal change in the variable x; four Trigonometric terms and Pi (symbol: π) you know.

Once you see it, you can't UN-SEE it. I have officially corrupted you.

Also to note: Albert Einstein's birthday happens to be today. In 2015, National Pi Day had some significance as it was his birthday and the year General Relativity was confirmed observing the phenomena we now know as Gravitational Lensing 100 years prior, giving rise to studying a now popular enigma of the universe: Black Holes.

NASA is giving space fans a reason to celebrate Pi Day, the March 14 holiday created in honor of the mathematical constant pi. For the fourth year in a row, the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has created an illustrated Pi Day Challenge featuring four math problems NASA scientists and engineers must solve to explore space. The challenge is designed to get students excited about pi and its applications beyond the classroom. This year’s problem set, designed for students in grade six through high school – but fun for all – features Mars craters, a total solar eclipse, a close encounter with Saturn, and the search for habitable worlds.

Educators, get the standards-aligned Pi Day Challenge lesson and download the free poster and handouts. The answers to all four problems will be released in a companion infographic on March 16.

Why March 14?

Pi is what’s known as an irrational number, meaning its decimal representation never ends and it never repeats. It has been calculated to more than one trillion digits, but NASA scientists and engineers actually use far fewer digits in their calculations (see “How Many Decimals of Pi Do We Really Need?”). The approximation 3.14 is often precise enough, hence the celebration occurring on March 14, or 3/14 (when written in US month/day format). The first known celebration occurred in 1988, and in 2009, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution designating March 14 as Pi Day and encouraging teachers and students to celebrate the day with activities that teach students about pi.

NASA JPL: Celebrate Pi Day Like a NASA Rocket Scientist, Lyle Tavernier

ET, FRBs and Light Sails...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 13, 2017 at 7:30am

Image Source: Science Alert

Topics: Astrophysics, Photonics, SETI, Solar Sail, Space Exploration

It's not the first time I've discussed Fast Radio Burst (FRBs): I had posts in 2013, 2015 and just last year in 2016. I first read this in Science Alert, then followed the links to arXiv. Although I've posted from physics arXiv before, some things I should give as a caveat emptor:

- The arXiv is a pre-print journal, i.e. it precedes publication in peer-reviewed, scientific journals.

- As such, it's a good way to "get an idea out there." The first stringent peer reviews should be from your own research team. You can also in subsequent submission to scholarly publications correct previous conclusions, especially after peer challenge.

- You can submit your paper here, if you're a registered author.

What took me aback was a Harvard astrophysicist* submitting it, and it's apparently not as the colloquial phrase goes, his first rodeo (see #P4TC related link below). I was a little thrilled and a little worried if the hypothesis falls flat.

However, it does work on physics that we know, or at least think we know: we haven't built a functional solar sail YET, but it's a little more practical on our humble 0.7 Kardashev Scale than warp drive (to the chagrin of my inner Trekkie), but within the realm of reasonable relativistic speeds, a fraction of light speed, but doable.

If we're receiving these fast radio bursts, the question are: is this just stellar phenomena, a lucky observation break, or are we in a flight path? And if the latter, for what purpose?

* Loeb admits that this work is speculative. When asked whether he really believes that any fast radio bursts are due to aliens, he replied, "Science isn't a matter of belief, it's a matter of evidence. Deciding what’s likely ahead of time limits the possibilities. It's worth putting ideas out there and letting the data be the judge.”

Abstract

We examine the possibility that Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) originate from the activity of extragalactic civilizations. Our analysis shows that beams used for powering large light sails could yield parameters that are consistent with FRBs. The characteristic diameter of the beam emitter is estimated through a combination of energetic and engineering constraints, and both approaches intriguingly yield a similar result which is on the scale of a large rocky planet. Moreover, the optimal frequency for powering the light sail is shown to be similar to the detected FRB frequencies. These `coincidences' lend some credence to the possibility that FRBs might be artificial in origin. Other relevant quantities, such as the characteristic mass of the light sail, and the angular velocity of the beam, are also derived. By using the FRB occurrence rate, we infer upper bounds on the rate of FRBs from extragalactic civilizations in a typical galaxy. The possibility of detecting fainter signals is briefly discussed, and the wait time for an exceptionally bright FRB event in the Milky Way is estimated.

Physics arXiv: Fast Radio Bursts from Extragalactic Light Sails
Manasvi Lingam, Abraham Loeb

#P4TC:

Light Sails Leakage, September 9, 2015

Ions, Lasers and Time Crystals...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 10, 2017 at 9:31am

Researchers have created the world's first time crystal, an exotic state of matter that combines the rigidity of an ordinary crystal with a regular rhythm in time. (Credit: E. Edwards/JQI)

Topics: Applied Physics, Computer Science, Quantum Computer, Quantum Mechanics, Theoretical Physics

Consider, for a moment, the humble puddle of water. If you dive down to nearly the scale of molecules, it will be hard to tell one spot in the puddle from any other. You can shift your gaze to the left or right, or tilt your head, and the microscopic bustle will be identical—a situation that physicists call highly symmetric.

That all changes abruptly when the puddle freezes. In contrast to liquid water, ice is a crystal, and it gains a spontaneous rigid structure as the temperature drops. Freezing fastens neighboring water molecules together in a regular pattern, and a simple tilt of the head now creates a kaleidoscopic change.

In 2012, Nobel-prize winning physicist Frank Wilczek, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, proposed something that sounds pretty strange. It might be possible, Wilczek argued, to create crystals that are arranged in time instead of space. The suggestion prompted years of false starts and negative results that ruled out some of the most obvious places to look for these newly named time crystals.

Now, five years after the first proposal, a team of researchers led by physicists at the Joint Quantum Institute and the University of Maryland have created the world's first time crystal using a chain of atomic ions. The result, which finally brings Wilczek's exotic idea to life, was reported in Nature on March 9.

Much like freezing destroys the symmetry of liquid water, a time crystal disturbs a regularity in time. This is somewhat surprising, says lead author and JQI postdoctoral researcher Jiehang Zhang, since nature usually responds in sync to things that change in time. "The earth rotates around the sun once a year, and the seasons have the same period," Zhang says. "That’s what you would naturally expect."

A time crystal doesn't follow the lead, instead responding with a slower frequency—like a bell struck once a second that rings every other second. The atomic ions in the Maryland experiment, which researchers manipulated using laser pulses, responded exactly half as fast as the sequence of pulses that drove them.

Joint Quantum Institute: Ions sync up into world's first time crystal

#P4TC:

Recipe For Time Crystals, January 24, 2017Time Crystals, October 13, 2016

Conducting Filaments and RRAM Switching...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 9, 2017 at 7:13am

(a) Measured I-V patterns (sweep rate, 1 V/s) under various Icc. The arrows and the number in the graphs signify the switching direction. Similar responses were recorded by starting the sweeps from 0 V to |Vmax|(not shown here), confirming the completely forming free nature of our devices. (b) Evolution of the rectification ratio (RR) for the LRS and (c) dependence of both resistance states from the device area, under the application of a constant of Icc = 50 mA.

Topics: Electrical Engineering, Semiconductor Technology, Nanotechnology

Two primers: RRAM and Memristor. It'll make the rest of the paper flow better.

ABSTRACT

Although multilevel capability is probably the most important property of resistive random access memory (RRAM) technology, it is vulnerable to reliability issues due to the stochastic nature of conducting filament (CF) creation. As a result, the various resistance states cannot be clearly distinguished, which leads to memory capacity failure. In this work, due to the gradual resistance switching pattern of TiO2−x-based RRAM devices, we demonstrate at least six resistance states with distinct memory margin and promising temporal variability. It is shown that the formation of small CFs with high density of oxygen vacancies enhances the uniformity of the switching characteristics in spite of the random nature of the switching effect. Insight into the origin of the gradual resistance modulation mechanisms is gained by the application of a trap-assisted-tunneling model together with numerical simulations of the filament formation physical processes.

Journal of Applied Physics:Investigating the origins of high multilevel resistive switching in forming free Ti/TiO2−x-based memory devices through experiments and simulationsP. Bousoulas, I. Giannopoulos, P. Asenov, I. Karageorgiou, and D. Tsoukalas

Introduce A Girl to Engineering...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 8, 2017 at 7:49am

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (IGED) is a diversity outreach program designed to provide 8th-grade girls an opportunity to learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers. Students are assigned to engineer and scientist mentors at Argonne who accompany the girls throughout the day's scheduled activities. (Image by Argonne National Laboratory.)

Topics: Diversity, Diversity in Science, STEM, Women in Science

Eighth grade girls learned about the exciting possibilities in science and engineering at the annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory.

“We were very excited to host this event and inspire young girls to become the next generation of scientists and engineers, “ said Lydia Finney, a physicist at Argonne and the Women in Science and Technology program initiator.

The day-long event was an entertaining and interactive way to introduce girls to science and engineering pursuits. Over one hundred young girls from the Chicagoland area heard from leaders at Argonne, met with a mentor, toured the laboratory’s one-of-a-kind research facilities, joined seminars led by female Argonne employees and watched demonstrations of 11 experiments by Argonne scientists and engineers.

“The girls enjoyed our hands-on experiments from different areas across the laboratory – from predicting the weather to demonstrating cryogenics used at the Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System, or ATLAS,” said Emily Zvolanek, a GIS analyst in Argonne’s Environmental Science Division and six-time coordinator of the annual event.

Argonne National Laboratory:Argonne hosts 15th annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, Dave Bukey

Gluons and Protons...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 7, 2017 at 9:00am

http://physics4thecool.blogspot.com/2017/03/gluons-and-protons.html

Heresy of Heliocentricity...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 6, 2017 at 8:40am

Image Source: Famous Scientists

Topics: Astronomy, Astrophysics, Copernicus, Heliophysics, History

I've seen this quite often in treatises on science, its general public acceptance and authoritarianism. It's quite typical sadly, of the powerful to "want to control the narrative," thereby remaining in a position of control and influence. Any information counter to their hierarchy is thus heresy, and is usually countered with vigorous dissent and an "alternative" to observation, data, peer review and thus...truth.

On this day (actually, yesterday: 5 March) in 1616 the Vatican's Sacred Congregation of the Index added Nicolaus Copernicus's "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" ("On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres") to its list of banned books. First published in Nuremberg in 1543, the book proposed that Earth, Mars and other planets orbit the Sun. Rejection of Copernicus's heliocentric system was not confined to the Catholic Church. Rumors of his research reached Martin Luther before the book was published. In 1539 the Protestant reformer was quoted as saying: "People gave ear to an upstart astrologer who strove to show that the Earth revolves, not the heavens or the firmament, the Sun and the Moon. . . . This fool wishes to reverse the entire science of astronomy; but sacred Scripture tells us that Joshua commanded the Sun to stand still, and not the Earth."

“That which can be destroyed by the truth should be.”

― P.C. Hodgell, Seeker's Mask, Good Reads

Physics Today: Vatican bans Copernicus' bookStanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Nicolaus Copernicus

The Best Part...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 3, 2017 at 7:30am

Image Source: Link below

Topics: Diversity in Science, Education, STEM, Women in Science

Teenagers with parents who conveyed the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) had higher scores in mathematics and science-college preparatory examinations, a long-term US study has found. Talking to teenagers about the benefits of science boosted their exam results by as much as 12%, which in turn increased the number pursuing STEM-based careers.

The research was part of a longitudinal study that recruited families in the state of Wisconsin in 1990 and 1991 when mothers were pregnant. The STEM part of the analysis, led by psychologist Judith Harackiewicz from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, looked at 181 families from that cohort with students attending 108 different high schools.

Parents are an untapped resource for promoting STEM motivation.

I can personally attest to it when you almost burn down the house and your parents don't freak out. The support loop is reciprocal: When you have a loving relationship with involved parents, you kind of want to please them. Especially when their house is intact.

I still wouldn't try this at home. My parents were special, yours might freak out. Keep it safe, and keep them calm.

Physics World: Parents' enthusiasm for science boosts teens' exam scores, Michael Allen

The Pipeline...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 2, 2017 at 1:17pm

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission during its May 18, 2016 hearing on diversity in the tech industry. (Photo: Mike Snider, USA TODAY), Link below

Topics: African Americans, Diversity in Science, Economy, Jobs, STEM

Though this post is based on 2016 articles, this is not anecdotal at all for me. I've discussed being "the only one in the room." High tech gives a lot of the same statements almost every year.

From the NPR article:

The thing about the tech industry and employee diversity reports is they can feel like Groundhog Day:

- Google, 2014: "Put simply, Google is not where we want to be when it comes to diversity."

- Google, 2016: "We saw encouraging signs of progress in 2015, but we're still far from where we need to be."

- Facebook, 2014: "We have more work to do — a lot more. But the good news is that we've begun to make progress."

- Facebook, 2015: "While we have achieved positive movement over the last year, it's clear to all of us that we still aren't where we want to be. There's more work to do."

- Facebook, 2016: "We still have a long way to go, but as we continue to strive for greater change, we are encouraged by positive hiring trends."

Pretty much, the work is done FOR companies BY their African American tech workforce, small and mighty though they may be.

Small numerically; mighty with regards to finding their sphere of influence and exercising it through specifically-oriented groups: NSBE, NSBP, SHPE, etc.

The "pipeline" argument — that there are simply not enough properly skilled minorities for hire — has troubled diversity experts in Silicon Valley for years.

"It's always been a cop-out," says Kalimah Priforce, who runs Oakland-based Qeyno Labs, which organizes hackathons targeted at minority youth. "The pipeline has a bias. ... Their version of the pipeline is what's creating the outcome that we see."

One problem is this is an unpaid volunteer force, some officially recognized or unofficially recognized by their companies.

There was a brief window in Austin, Texas where tech was actively recruiting from my Alma Mater. I'd like to think I had something to do with that. It was quite easy for Motorola to check the box and go to Prairie View A&M or Texas Southern. It was "a matter of cost." I simply asked was it a matter of cost to go to Harvard, Princeton, Stanford or Yale? HR had no answer, but were pleasantly surprised when they actually visited the campus in Greensboro.

The problem with the pipeline is it's usually a brief answer and a quarter-to-quarter mentality, not a long-term growth strategy.

Executive Summary

The high tech sector has become a major source of economic growth fueling the U.S. economy. As an innovation leader, the high tech sector has impacted how we communicate and access information, distribute products and services, and address critical societal problems. Because this sector is the source of an increasing number of jobs, it is particularly important that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and its stakeholders understand the emerging trends in this industry. Ensuring a sufficient supply of workers with the appropriate skills and credentials and addressing the lack of diversity among high tech workers have become central public policy concerns. This report seeks to shed more light on employment patterns in the high tech industry by providing an overview of literature as a backdrop to understanding high tech employment, and analyzing corresponding summary data from the Employer Information EEO-1 Report (EEO-1) collected in 2014.

Employment in computer science and engineering is growing at twice the rate of the national average. These jobs tend to provide higher pay and better benefits, and they have been more resilient to economic downturns than other private sector industries over the past decade. In addition, jobs in the high tech industry have a strong potential for growth. These jobs are important to companies in all industries that require workers with technology skills. Employment trends in the high tech sector are therefore important to the national economic and employment outlook. [1]

With a pending gap of 1.4 million computing jobs expected in 2020 -- and only an estimated 400,000 skilled U.S. workers available to fill them -- women and minorities "could be a big part of the solution," she said.

Older workers are also being discriminated against in tech hiring practices that prefer "digital natives" and leave older workers "persona non grata," said Laurie McCann, a senior attorney with the AARP. [2]

The other problem is at the corporate leadership level, if they actually value and take advantage of the HELP.

1. EEOC: Diversity in High Tech2. USA Today: EEOC: More diversity needed in tech hiring, Mike Snider

Science Matters...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on March 1, 2017 at 9:39am

Image Source: Link below. I realize it doesn't "chant," but you clearly get the meaning and intent.

Topics: Education, Research, Science, STEM

Science matters, as does evidence, truth and reality, all under assault at 140 characters at a time and alternative facts (lies). I plan to participate, and I hope you will as well. The 22nd of April is a Saturday. Unless you're working a compressed schedule, most of us should be free to beat the pavement for civil liberties, and civilization.

AAAS, the world’s largest general scientific organization, announced Thursday (23 February) that it will partner with the March for Science, a nonpartisan set of activities that aim to promote science education and the use of scientific evidence to inform policy.

The March for Science has released a list of more than 25 initial partner organizations, including AAAS, and suggestions for science engagement activities at hundreds of locations throughout the United States and around the world to coincide with the previously announced March for Science rally in Washington, D.C., scheduled for 22 April. The activities may include “teach-ins,” science events, open houses and rallies.

AAAS CEO Rush Holt said, “AAAS will encourage and support its members and affiliate organizations to help make the March for Science a success. We see the activities collectively known as the March as a unique opportunity to communicate the importance, value and beauty of science. Participation in the March for Science is in keeping with AAAS’ long-standing mission to ‘advance science, engineering and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people.’”

American Association for the Advancement of Science:AAAS and March for Science Partner to Uphold Science, Anne Q. Hoy

Modern Figures 28 February 2017...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on February 28, 2017 at 7:10am

Science Magazine: Presidential Medal of Freedom Honors a NASA 'computer'

Topics: African Americans, History, Diaspora, Diversity in Science, Women in Science

NASA: The film "Hidden Figures," based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly, focuses on the stories of Katherine Johnson (above), after receiving the Medal of Freedom in 2015), Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan, African-American women who were essential to the success of early spaceflight. Today, NASA embraces their legacy and strives to include everyone who wants to participate in its ongoing exploration. "Progress is driven by questioning our assumptions and cultural assumptions," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says in a new video. "Embracing diversity and inclusion is how we as a nation will take the next giant leap in exploration."

I salute Women's History Month (starting tomorrow). This month spawned Women's History, Asian Heritage, LGBT History, and Hispanic Heritage observances. "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," Oscar Wilde.

I met Dr. Barry Johnson coordinating a traveling display of African American Civil Rights History with his and the eight other African American corporate vice presidents at Motorola. He asked me two questions off-topic: "Where's a good barbershop?" (I sent him to Joel Mason - my barber in Austin); "Where's a good black art and bookstore?" (I suggested Mitchie's Fine Black Art and Frame Gallery, which was a combo of both). He often had the same feeling I did and still do as the "only one in the room," and reading our history and literature; looking at our art and sculpture was... as I've used quite often in these postings, cathartic. Did I tell you that three coworkers called me the n-word (to my face, in front of witnesses)?

Don't be discouraged by blatant hurled epithets, or if you're the "only one in the room," be the best damn one in the room!

The purpose of cultural heritage celebrations has been obscured unfortunately by well meaning human resource departments on teaching diversity and inclusiveness, which I don't have a problem with and is all important. Just as a rowing team has to synchronize strokes, it's best when everyone - in a company or a country - is not out to sabotage each other. Nothing gets done.

For yourselves, for myself: Carter G. Woodson wanted to empower his people with a sense of confidence, a strut in their step with what we now call... swagger!

If your swagger has stumbled, may these posts reassure it and the confidence within.

NASA: Modern Figures

Why It Matters...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on February 28, 2017 at 7:04am

Distinguished University Professor, Regents Professor & Director

Topics: African Americans, Diaspora, Diversity in Science, Higgs Boson, Quarks, STEM, Theoretical Physics, Quantum Mechanics

Why this post matters: Part of the reason for this post and all the others this month is to change perceptions, first in ourselves to think of life and things beyond programmed stereotypes, and for those outside the culture if receptive. I cannot change blatant racism or willful ignorance. I can present information such that it makes it less certain persons "just didn't know" to it's their choice to be uninformed, myopic and bigoted.

You may not work in the semiconductor industry. You may not get a PhD in theoretical physics. A STEM education has one other added benefit beyond just careers: citizenship. You will develop critical thinking and reasoning skills that will allow you to discern fact from "alternative facts" (i.e. lies, obfuscations, malarkey). You be able to pose cogent questions to our nation's representatives: With coal on the decline, why not forge ahead with solar, wind and geothermal jobs? (You can even understand the caveats.) The previous administration tried to pass a jobs training bill for infrastructure: did you oppose it, and why? With 13,950 peer-reviewed papers on Climate Change, only 24 reject it outright: what is your take on the subject? You can and should demand how and where your tax dollars are spent, and ultimately for whose "common good." Showing up at Town Hall meetings for a 1st Amendment "redress of grievances" is your right, but the best argument is always an informed one.

"At the end of the day, observation is what rules our paradigms. And this is a lesson that Einstein claims that Galileo drummed into us, and therefore it makes Galileo the father not only of physics, but of all of science, that observation rules the day. Pure thought alone cannot be the arbiter by which we come to understand nature."

Dr. Sylvester James Gates Jr., quote from the video below.

Bio: Sylvester James Gates Jr. is a Distinguished University Professor, University System of Maryland Regents Professor and John S. Toll Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland. Also an affiliate mathematics professor, Gates is known for his pioneering work in supersymmetry and supergravity, areas closely related to string theory. Gates earned two Bachelor of Science degrees in physics and mathematics and his Ph.D. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1984, Gates co-authored Superspace, or One thousand and one lessons in supersymmetry, the first comprehensive book on supersymmetry, and joined the faculty at Maryland as an associate professor. Four years later, he became the first African American to hold an endowed chair in physics at a major U.S. research university.

The author of more than 200 research papers and a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Gates has been featured in dozens of video documentaries, including five in 2015. For his contribution to science and research, he received the National Medal of Science from President Obama in 2013. Gates serves on the U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, the National Commission on Forensic Science, and the Maryland State Board of Education. He is a strong advocate for science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

University of Maryland Department of Physics: Dr. Sylvester J. Gates Jr.