Unfortunately I will be taking a hiatus on blog posts until mid December. The reason is that graduate school is pretty hectic at the moment and I’m feeling a bit too overwhelmed. See you all in about three weeks!
November 2013
optics / Physics / Quantum Mechanics / etc.
How Things Work: Lasers
You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frikkin laser beams attached to their heads! ~Dr. Evil Always look on the bright side …unless you’re holding a laser pointing device. ~Unknown The laser is, without a doubt, one of the most ubiquitous, archetypal technologies of modern times. And it is one of the most direct applications of quantum mechanics. But how do lasers work? It All Starts In The Atom The story starts deep within the atom. I’ve previously discuss the fact that particles are waves and that this forces electrons to have
Astrophysics / Physics / Science And Math
Why Black Holes Glow: Accretion Disks
The patient accretion of knowledge, the focusing of all one’s energies on some problem in history or science, the dogged pursuit of excellence of whatever kind these are right and proper ideals for life. ~Michael Dirda Nothing can escape from a black hole, not even light. This is why we call them “black.” One would imagine, then, that black holes are black invisible menaces, lurking out in the depths of space. Surprisingly, though, black holes glow. The cover image shows a radio photograph of the center of the Milky Way. The center glow, Sagittarius A, is partly due to
Physics / Quantum Mechanics / Science And Math
Between the Two Shores: Covalent Bonding
But let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. ~Kahlil Gibran Two weeks ago now, I flew to Conway, Arkansas to attend the wedding of my very good friends Vincent and Mary. This and an academic conference got in the way of blogging for a little while but I’m back. As such I decided to a post in their honor about bonding. Not human bonding, mind you,