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Nachimir

The ASTOUNDING thread of science!

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Since I learned something new this morning, and this wasn't medical:

Not medicine, but whatever. Existence of dark energy confirmed.

An offhand comment by a friend led me to read about Ununoctium, and this phrase absolutely baffled me:

It was formerly thought to be a gas but is now predicted to be a solid under normal conditions due to relativistic effects.

That led me to relativistic quantum chemistry, which I'd never heard of but apparently goes back to 1935.

I have a far from comprehensive understanding of it, but as far as I can gather: Because the electrons in some atoms are travelling at a significant fraction of the speed of light, the resulting effects influence the electron shells and thus also the chemical properties of the substances. For instance, things may bond when normally/ideally they wouldn't, or their radiation absorption changes:

Thus, nonrelativistic gold would be white.

Why this is awesome:

The explanations I got of matter during my school years were all about the relative distance between electrons and the solidity of mass being to do with charge. Neat, but all pretty abstract and sometimes leads people to think they can walk through walls, or make worthless piece of shit bits of metaphysical wank like What the Bleep do We Know?.

This is awesome because it reveals a connection between physics and chemistry, and in so doing also reveals fundamental chemical, quantum and relativistic effects tied to THINGS WE CAN SEE WITH OUR OWN EYES. :tup:

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Also this via Twitter, which at first sounds like one of those stupid dodgy "science" stories that newspapers tend to run on "Person discovers equation for [discovering alien life/being happy/optimum ratio of peanut butter to jelly]", but is actually wonderful:

http://www.walkingrandomly.com/?p=19

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Quantum object?

For the longest time while watching this video I couldn't make up my mind whether or not this guy was an amazing douche. Starting with that oversimplified right-mind-left-mind BS and going into what I thought was a childish reasoning (I can't wrap my head around quantum mechanics, so they'll just have to accomodate to my shortcomings), things got interesting when he was apparently going to display some awesome quantum object.

Unfortunately, he didn't show anything except the device. No movie with it working, not even a fucking illustration. It was just his story. In the end it left me disappointed and even a little cheated. I had expected something TED-worthy, but all I got was West Dickens telling me wonderstories without any proof.

The typing-powered laptop is amazing and its application could work in a variety of products. Companies may not be too happy with it though, because it stands in the way of their planned obsolescence. An ever-lasting battery? You can only sell that once, that's no good!

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Looks like we're just gonna have to build our own, then.

tonystarkironman2268535.jpg

Seems like it's still a long way off, because they haven't even built it yet. Shame; I need this technology yesterday!

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Quantum object?

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I agree with Rodi on this one. There is something truly astounding about a physicist who wonders why everyday objects shouldn't follow the rules of quantum mechanically, then goes on to show that (what appears to be) a NEMS/MEMS cantilever, something that you definitely can't see all that well with an unaided eye, acts quantum mechanically in ultra-high vacuum and ultra-low temperatures. Had he explained (properly) why he had to create these conditions, then he would also have answered his own question why true everyday objects don't appear to "follow the rules of quantum mechanics".

He is probably a talented scientist and very smart guy overall, but his talk was pretty horrible. I think he would have been much better off without all that brain and interconnectedness of all bullshit. I bet the thing would have worked better had its dimensions followed the golden rule. :fart: Maybe the worst part for me was his however subtle hint that the (quantum) leap from a single particle to his cantilever is about the same in magnitude as from his cantilever to something of our size.

The only thing I was left wondering after his talk was what was the device he had to build to release the cantilever. I hope it wasn't a simple wet etcher.

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I totally agree. That left brain/right brain stuff was a weird way to begin, and that stuff about explaining why objects don't fall through each other. Plus his weird top and hair put me off. He seemed like he wanted to be a rock star more than a physicist... and I'd be surprised if he really did all this stuff by himself. The whole thing definitely felt a little weird.

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I totally agree. That left brain/right brain stuff was a weird way to begin, and that stuff about explaining why objects don't fall through each other. Plus his weird top and hair put me off. He seemed like he wanted to be a rock star more than a physicist... and I'd be surprised if he really did all this stuff by himself. The whole thing definitely felt a little weird.

This was my impression as well. I'd like to know more about what he was actually doing instead of the all the filler stuff that didn't seem to have anything to do with it.

That or the talk went way over my head rather then him failing to talk about what was interesting about this.

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What occurs to me is that we already have huge, fully functioning actual trains that levitate with magnets and transport people quickly from one place to another every day. Not that those clips aren't nice. But we do.

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Indeed we do. They're called Maglev trains. Don't think there are a whole lot yet, but there are few and I heard recently that somewhere another was being built. Real specific, I know, but that's all I know. I'M SORRY!!

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The best thing about this is the nonchalantness and side of the "crowd" looking at this thing, where as I'd be losing my mind watching this thing, this seems to not attract anyone, which makes me wonder what else is going on around it that is more amazing.

Maglevs use a whole load of electricity switching electromagmets on and off to move the train. Quantum locking is way more amazing than that.

Not to shit on your post, Murdoc. I agree: Why doesn't that have an insanely big crowd around it?

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I wonder if they decided to call it quantum locking just to make it appear even more amazing.

Anyway, if anyone is in need of money and/or fame, there is a Nobel Prize in Physics reserved for the person who can come up with a satisfactory theory of superconductivity. You can be sure of that.

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What occurs to me is that we already have huge, fully functioning actual trains that levitate with magnets and transport people quickly from one place to another every day. Not that those clips aren't nice. But we do.

That is true, but there are key improvements made by superconductive trains.

A. They don't have to actually land when they stop, maglev trains do.

B. You can place a superconductive train at any orientation or angle.

There are problems of course. In the real world try keeping an entire train at low enough temperatures to levitate while also keeping the passengers safe and warm. Good luck with that.

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I guess one wouldn't have to cool the entire train down – just a part of it (like

). And I'm not sure how being able to place the train at any angle would be a key improvement. :)

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That is true, but there are key improvements made by superconductive trains.

B. You can place a superconductive train at any orientation or angle.

Hey, that sounds like a really good idea for a tr–

330021-1625-19.jpg

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And I'm not sure how being able to place the train at any angle would be a key improvement. :)

Well, for instance, the tracks could go along the side of a cliff while the train stays upright (now THAT'S a ride!).

Or, you could use this technology to make a turbolift that travels in any plane, just like on Star Trek!

Like all science and technology, the more you think about it the more amazing and unexpected creative applications you find.

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Well, for instance, the tracks could go along the side of a cliff while the train stays upright (now THAT'S a ride!).

Well sure.. but I'm not entirely convinced that kind of track would be any easier to build than a conventional one. Furthermore, the train would most likely still need a complete redesign: I don't think the miniature train in the video I posted, for example, would perform as well if the superconductor surface plane was perpendicular to that of the magnets. Also, what if the cooling system fails in the middle of the cliff face and structure loses superconductivity?

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Well sure.. but I'm not entirely convinced that kind of track would be any easier to build than a conventional one. Furthermore, the train would most likely still need a complete redesign: I don't think the miniature train in the video I posted, for example, would perform as well if the superconductor surface plane was perpendicular to that of the magnets. Also, what if the cooling system fails in the middle of the cliff face and structure loses superconductivity?

Actually, the neat thing about quantum locking is that it does perform just as well at any angle (the quantum part comes in because the magnetic field penetrates microscopic fissures in the superconductor, and magnetic fields are globular: check out more here). Besides which you would presumable have superconductor plates in the walls and ceilings of the train as well, so as to distribute stress evenly. There is comparatively little stress placed on metal parts of the track or the superconductor, which is one way in which it beats out conventional tracks, especially at odd angles.

If the cooling system fails... it's time to adopt the crash position! Although to be honest I don't think this technology will be truly useful for human transport until we find/invent room temperature superconductors.

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Maglevs use a whole load of electricity switching electromagmets on and off to move the train. Quantum locking is way more amazing than that.

Maglevs are huge trains that reach speeds of almost 600 km/h. Yours is a toy train circling a meter-long track. I'm sure it's very cool from a science-perspective, but the common definition for 'amazing' is "immense phallic object traveling at half the speed of sound". Check OED if you want to.

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