Cool Science Story Of The Day [Continuing Thread]

[Rusty Heap]

First for scale, remember we're earth, just one little sand speck in an outer ring of the Milky Way Galaxy.



and there are Hundreds of Billions of Galaxies in the universe.



suddenly I feel very very small.



Hubble Ultra Deep Field 3D

[Aragorn]

Cheap and efficient hydrogen... Maybe...

Scientists split water into hydrogen, oxygen utilizing light, nanoparticles | Science Recorder

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by Rusty Heap

First for scale, remember we're earth, just one little sand speck in an outer ring of the Milky Way Galaxy.

I think a "speck of sand" overstates our size & importance.

Ian

[RWebb]

BTW - there are only certain time spans during which an intelligent being could live, and fewer time spans during which they could observe the entire universe and determine its age.

The universe is also going to die pretty soon, so enjoy the party while it lasts!

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by RWebb

BTW - there are only certain time spans during which an intelligent being could live, and fewer time spans during which they could observe the entire universe and determine its age.

The universe is also going to die pretty soon, so enjoy the party while it lasts!

Yea, just a couple of billion years to go.

[M.D. Holloway]

Originally Posted by RWebb

BTW - there are only certain time spans during which an intelligent being could live, and fewer time spans during which they could observe the entire universe and determine its age.

The universe is also going to die pretty soon, so enjoy the party while it lasts!

Nonsense, we are caught in an infinite loop destined to repeat ourselves forever...oh wait, thats the abortion thread Fauxpause started...

[porwolf]

Originally Posted by M.D. Holloway

Nonsense, we are caught in an infinite loop destined to repeat ourselves forever...oh wait, thats the abortion thread Fauxpause started...

Maybe not nonsense. It could happen tomorrow:

Collapse of Universe 'More Likely Than Ever And May Have Already Started'

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Aragorn

Cheap and efficient hydrogen... Maybe...

Scientists split water into hydrogen, oxygen utilizing light, nanoparticles | Science Recorder

TANSTAAFL. You may decrease the initial energy and the losses, but the difference between the two energy states requires putting in that amount of energy.

If someone said that a catalyst plus sunlight would produce hydrogen and oxygen, I can accept that, since the sunlight is the energy source. But you are never going to get more energy in storage than the sum of all energy put in. And then, you will always lose a little to inefficiency.

[gearya]

It could still be cheap and efficient. And low pollution.

[cockerpunk]

Originally Posted by porwolf

Maybe not nonsense. It could happen tomorrow:

Collapse of Universe 'More Likely Than Ever And May Have Already Started'

interesting.

the eventual result of the big bang is either inevitable heat death of the universe, or a closed loop series of big bangs, and then collapses. i thought it had more or less be proven that there was not enough mass in the universe to cause a closed loop, but maybe thats why these new calculations show something different.

[RedBaron]

Whats are the chances of this going mainstream?

Algae to crude oil: Million-year natural process takes minutes in the lab

Originally Posted by john70t

(FIFY)
Will the BMW manufacturers of headlight lasers/halogens pay for for following egregious (and willfully-knowing) lawsuits, which will eventuallly happen after on-coming drivers are blinded in the USA?

I was thinking the same thing when the inevitable electrical parts fail.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by RedBaron

Whats are the chances of this going mainstream?

Algae to crude oil: Million-year natural process takes minutes in the lab

There was a similar process many years ago with the idea of using organic waste. The biggest problem was people would throw out too much regular stuff with the garbage.

The issue, as with all of these things, is how much of the earth's surface are we willing to give up to making the energy we need? It is a solar energy solution.

I really like the idea of this. The question is simply, what is the net energy after the process? I would then look at the "collection area" and calculate the solar efficiency. I doubt it beats PV.

[jyl]

Don't get excited but

BBC News - Youth-drug can 'reverse' ageing in animal studies

[sjf911]

Ctenophores are "out".
Science Magazine - 13 December 2013

[M.D. Holloway]

First Exomoon Possibly Glimpsed

now if I was gonna have a space ship...this maybe the style most affordable

[Hawkeye's-911T]

For those interested in another research update in "dark matter & dark energy"

BBC News - Cosmic 'web' seen for first time

Cheers
JB

[doug_porsche]

I guess this should actually be "Cool Science Story of Tomorrow" but
World Science U | Welcome


Just saw the interview on the Colbert Report.

[sjf911]

Looks like the BICEP2 study has come through with more evidence supporting the Big Bang and inflation.

[kang]

Major Discovery: 'Smoking Gun' for Universe's Incredible Big Bang Expansion Found

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by sjf911

Looks like the BICEP2 study has come through with more evidence supporting the Big Bang and inflation.

It is hard for most people to really understand how astonishing this is, and it's astonishing to me that it's not on the front page of CNN for example. Of all of the things mentioned in this thread, this one is an actual Nobel event, and will spawn 2 or 3 more in the next 10 years (measuring the quantization of gravity and/or calculating the Unification energy).