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Nobel Prize in Physics

July 25, 2018

Two Americans Get Nobel Prize in Physics

The Nobel Prizes announced the week of October 2nd (Medicine or Physiology,…

Sci-Fi

July 25, 2018

Donnie Darko: Metaphysics Meet 1980s Suburbia in Deliciously Complex Film

Donnie Darko is an Indie film with grand aspirations. Covering everything from…

Biology

July 25, 2018

High School Biology Tutorial

The study of biology is the study of life. Biology covers plants,…

Two Americans Get Nobel Prize in Physics

July 25, 2018

The Nobel Prizes announced the week of October 2nd (Medicine or Physiology, Chemistry, and Physics) certainly covered 3 very wide (literally) areas of study. While the prizes in Medicine and Chemistry are much more likely to produce some benefit to humanity in the immediate or near future, the work that led to the Physics prize is another step toward an explanation of why I can be sitting at my computer writing this article and you are sitting at your computer reading it.

The Physics prize was awarded jointly on Tuesday to John Mather (NASA Goddard Space flight Center) and George Smoot (University of California) for their studies regarding what is known as Cosmic Microwave Radiation (CMR). The CMR represents the remnants of the energy released during the “Big Bang,” the explosive event that gave birth to our Universe. The Big Bang Theory is the mathematical model that predicts what may have happened in the very early Universe to cause it to appear as it does today.

Using data obtained with NASA’s COBE (COsmic Background Explorer) satellite the two scientists were able to study the precise current temperature of the CMR across the entire visible Universe. Their studies produced several findings that led to Mather and Smoot’s Nobel Prize:

1. As the early Universe expanded its temperature fell at a definite rate. The mathematical model of the Big Bang predicted that this temperature would now be ~ 3o Kelvin. The results obtained by NASA satellites indicated a temperature of ~ 2.73o Kelvin, which confirmed the predicted age of the universe (~ 13.7 billion years) was correct.

2. Data obtained using the COBE satellite and the subsequently-launched WMAP (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe) confirmed that, although the background radiation was detected in every direction, there were “spots” detected that were a few millionths of a degree Kelvin cooler than their surroundings. These indicate that the early Universe was not completely homogenous and that the first stars and galaxies began to form at around 350,000 years after the Big Bang.

3. The Big Bang Theory is dependent on the Theory of General Relativity (which explains gravity’s effects on the very large scale in the same way that Newton’s Laws explain gravity on a smaller scale). According to General Relativity, the Universe may exist in only 1 of 3 possible states which are in turn dependent on the amount of matter present (and hence, gravity) in the Universe. If the amount of matter is less than a certain average (called the Cosmological Constant) the Universe is shaped like a saddle. If the average density of matter exceeds the Constant then the Universe is spherically shaped. If the average amount of matter is equal to the Cosmological Constant then the Universe is flat.

The COBE and WAMP missions were used to measure the size of the previously seen “cool spots” in the Cosmic Background Radiation and, based on those measurements (as well as some very intimidating mathematics) the Universe is now felt to be flat.

The above explanations are generalizations only and are in no way intended to be definitive. For further information on the Big Bang and the Cosmic Background Radiation, log into any of the following links.

The Swedish Academy of Sciences (the group that actually “recommends” the Nobel Prize winners) has released summaries of Mather and Smoot’s research. The summary for those with limited knowledge of the Big Bang Theory can be found at this URL. A more advanced summary (for those with a university-level introduction to astronomy or better) is located here.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) maintains several web pages devoted to the Big Bang Theory and Cosmic Background Radiation.

Donnie Darko: Metaphysics Meet 1980s Suburbia in Deliciously Complex Film

July 25, 2018July 25, 2018

Donnie Darko is an Indie film with grand aspirations. Covering everything from time travel to metaphysics, it certainly does what it sets out to accomplish. With a fantastic script, a labyrinthine plot that reveals itself more with every viewing, and a cast of memorable characters, Donnie Darko is a hair short of a full-fledged masterpiece.
Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a troubled teenager who starts to notice very odd happenings. After his life is saved by visions of a giant bunny rabbit, Donnie tries to put together the pieces of what’s really going on. As he finds himself increasingly powerless over his own destructive actions, he begins to wonder if he is in fact losing his mind. What he discovers is that higher forces are really at work and that nothing it what it seems.

Donnie realizes that he is the one who needs to set things right in the grand scheme of things in order to avert a catastrophe. But at what cost?

This is a movie you’re not likely to understand the first time around. So many subtle nuances are thrown out at the viewers that often don’t reveal their purpose until later in the film. It’s frustrating, yes, but the complexity is ultimately rewarding. Donnie Darko is truly unlike any other film in terms of its pacing and use of the actors as true “actors”, pawns in a greater game over which they exert little control.

The characters are strong and intricate, drawing solid performances from unlikely actors. Drew Barrymore plays a sardonic schoolteacher and Patrick Swayze is a smarmy, perpetually positive motivational speaker. The true gems here are Gyllenhaal and Jena Malone, who plays his tormented love interest. The chemistry is real in their relationship, as is the dynamic of Donnie’s family. On the whole, Donnie Darko crackles with a vivid realism amidst its elements of science fiction.

Donnie Darko is a period piece, even though that period was not too long ago. Director Richard Kelly’s close attention to detail helps to create a very convincing vision of the late 1980s. From Donnie’s “Hobie” t-shirt to the George Bush/Michael Dukakis debates, there’s a weird genuineness to it all. Oh, and the soundtrack kicks ass too. Songs by Joy Division and Echo and the Bunnymen add to the bizarre sense of whimsy pervading every corner of Donnie’s dark world.

Donnie Darko is not the kind of film that comes along very often. Complex without being pretentious, it is a movie that will yield new rewards with every viewing.

High School Biology Tutorial

July 25, 2018July 25, 2018

The study of biology is the study of life. Biology covers plants, including wild trees and flowers as well as crops. Biology also includes a myriad of creatures from the tiniest insects to the largest sea creatures. It also include the study of the human body including anatomy and body mechanics. Nothing is too small to escape the study of microbiology. Environmental science looks at how different organisms from plants, animals and even microscopic life work together. Tutorials can help students integrate biology concepts both at school and at home.
Curriculum

When choosing a biology tutorial, the first thing any parent or teacher should consider is the school’s curriculum. What the student learns in the tutorial should mesh with classroom information. Start by looking at the student’s textbook. Many school text companies offer free or low cost tutorial programs online. These programs follow the textbook. The tutorial may include expanded study, self-testing, additional online resources, or even chat rooms to help the student connect with other biology students.

Format

Students can learn math or literature largely from books. But biology is different. Students need hands-on activities to understand many biological concepts. This is where the online tutorials teach more than static textbooks. After all, pictures help students understand what an organism looks like, but videos show how the organism moves. Interactive applets go one step beyond, allowing students to virtually manipulate cell parts, plants and animals. Students can virtually dissect cells, animals and plants, seeing real organ structures without harming a live plant or animal.

Fun Factor

Biology shouldn’t be boring. After all, it’s the story of how humanity interacts with the world around us. Many online tutorial programs bring that excitement into the study of biology. There are a wide range of tutorial games students play to explore biological concepts. Games allow students to crossbreed a variety of plants and animals, exploring genetic adaptation and change. Other games put the student in charge of a virtual lab as they seek specific pathogen and develop and antidote. Games give students the chance to create and maintain a working universe. Still others follow the path of last night’s dinner as it makes its way through the body.

Accessibility

Consider how the student has access to the biology tutorial. Some schools offer additional textbooks or study manuals that the student can take home and review. Other schools and parents use online resources. If the school uses a paid tutorial resource, consider whether the student has access to program from a home computer. Students may sign directly onto the website with a unique ID and password. Some schools configure their internet to allow students to sign into the school system remotely. The school’s website becomes a gateway to a wide range of tutorial programs.

Two Americans Get Nobel Prize in Physics

Donnie Darko: Metaphysics Meet 1980s Suburbia in Deliciously Complex Film

High School Biology Tutorial

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High School Biology Tutorial

A new volcano on Io? Juno data indicate ‘hot spot’ on Active Moon

Cosmic mystery deepens with conflicting measurements of Hubble constant