Five must-read stories from the past week include the most extreme ‘entanglement’ between pairs of photons ever seen in the lab; thermal scanning in Egypt’s pyramids identifying anomalies in the 4,500 year-old structures, including a major one in the largest pyramid; a unique list of items suitable for gifting to those you hold dear; an ambitious satellite test of Einstein’s most famous theory; and how computers broke science — and what we can do to fix it.
How Computers Broke Science — and What We can do to Fix It
Reproducibility is one of the cornerstones of science. Made popular by Robert Boyle in the 1660s, the idea is that a discovery should be reproducible before being accepted as scientific knowledge. In essence, you should be able to produce the same results if you follow the method I describe when announcing my discovery in a scholarly publication. If not, we’re left wondering what accident or mistake produced the original favorable result.
Satellites Set for Ambitious Test of Einstein’s Most Famous Theory
For the first time since Gravity Probe A, researchers have the opportunity to improve precision and confirm Einstein’s theory to a higher degree. This will test several alternative theories of gravity. The new effort takes advantage of the passive hydrogen maser atomic clock aboard each Galileo, the elongated orbits creating varying time dilation, and continuous monitoring thanks to the global network of ground stations.
28 Unique Holiday Gift Ideas
It seems that the leaves have started changing color and falling while I had my back turned, which can only mean that the holiday season is sneaking up on us again. As such, it behooves you to start giving thought to what to get those you think are deserving of your gifts, before the malls again turn into war zones. It is my honor to once more gather a unique list of items suitable for gifting to those you hold dear…
Egypt Detects Impressive Anomaly in Giza Pyramids
Two weeks of thermal scanning in Egypt’s Giza pyramids have identified anomalies in the 4,500 year-old burial structures, including a major one in the largest pyramid. Experts working on the project showed the higher temperature being detected in three specific adjacent stones at the bottom of the pyramid in a live thermal camera presentation. The scanning showed a particularly impressive anomaly on the Eastern side of the Khufu pyramid.
Experiment Records Extreme Quantum Weirdness
Researchers at the National University of Singapore and the University of Seville in Spain have reported the most extreme ‘entanglement’ between pairs of photons ever seen in the lab. The achievement is evidence for the validity of quantum physics and will bolster confidence in schemes for quantum cryptography and quantum computing designed to exploit this phenomenon.