Strange Stars | Space Time | PBS Digital Studios

November 16th, 2016

What happens when matter can’t get any denser yet somehow does? The answer – it becomes “strange.” Strange Stars may be the most massive stellar remnant that is just shy of forming a black hole. And they could be even cooler than black holes.

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Neutron stars are made of a substance known as Neutronium. It was thought that this was the densest form of matter possible but some theoretical physicists believe that at the core of some neutron stars the Neutronium breaks down even further, into quark matter. It may even evolve one step further into “strange matter”, the densest and most stable substance in the universe.

Previous Space Time episode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UNLgPIiWAg

How to Build a Black Hole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx4562gesw0

Written and hosted by Matt O’Dowd
Produced by Rusty Ward
Graphics by Grayson Blackmon
Made by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com)

Comments answered by Matt:

Pixel Girl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UNLgPIiWAg&lc=z12wefnrtozyspec423sgrfiplasfbivu

FatFingerJack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UNLgPIiWAg&lc=z12wd355kqv3g1znn233hdii3wyzstnal04

Neil Upfalow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UNLgPIiWAg&lc=z12xyhb54qfwvnwdt235wtcx1l3tvn5tr

Loren Supernaw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UNLgPIiWAg&lc=z12byxkirouqtvup504cdvwxyzawshhosmo0k

Tabularasa0606
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UNLgPIiWAg&lc=z12fep0rsv3xwt0an04cdvn5ima5znhiksg0k

One Man Wolf Pack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UNLgPIiWAg&lc=z12oyzxxsmiyj1u4c04ccnugsznvsxoqb34

Pipe2DevNull

Posted in Physics |

Did Dark Energy Just Disappear? | Space Time | PBS Digital Studios

November 9th, 2016

Did all of dark energy just vanish? A team of scientists have just analyzed new data and claim that we need to completely rethink its existence. This episode is supported by The Great Courses Plus. Go to http://ow.ly/EMoC304OIsh to start your free one month trial.

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Why are we talking about dark energy again? Because another team has just announced a new analysis of updated supernova data. They claim that the data are consistent with there being NO dark energy – no accelerating expansion. They suggest that the universe may just be expanding at a constant rate – never speeding up, but also not slowing down. In this episode, Matt discusses this controversial claim, and whether or not we should throw away nearly twenty years of work on dark energy.

Links to Sources
Marginal Evidence for Cosmic Acceleration from Type Ia Supernovae
J. T. Nielsen, A. Guffanti & S. Sarkar (2016)
http://www.nature.com/articles/srep35596

Statistical hypothesis testing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistical_hypothesis_testing

Wolfram error analysis tutorial
https://reference.wolfram.com/applications/eda/ExperimentalErrorsAndErrorAnalysis.html

Previous Space Time Episode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY47bVu-0Bs

Written and hosted by Matt O’Dowd
Produced by Rusty Ward
Graphics by Grayson Blackmon
Made by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com)

Comments Answered by Matt

ThunderboltTangerine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzKWfw68M5U&lc=z13ogdwyupendxfdo23xtnm5iufdghl4x04

QED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jowVq81AgGw&lc=z132djnarwaywxucv231i5fr0sz1yb2ff

Teboski78
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jowVq81AgGw&lc=z12rspaoesqycbwvo22jtte4qqepidd1z

Posted in Physics |

Quantum Vortices and Superconductivity + Drake Equation Challenge Answers

November 2nd, 2016

Scientists studying quantum vortices and their impact on superconductivity just won the Nobel Prize.

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Further Sources:
Nobel Prize in Physics Announcement
https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2016/

Detailed information (PDF):
https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2016/advanced-physicsprize2016.pdf

The Galactic Civilization Challenge Question
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAoEnV3Zt_Q

Previous Episode – The Many World of the Multiverse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzKWfw68M5U

Did you correctly answer the Galactic Civilization Challenge Question? If you did Matt will take you with him when he sets out to colonize the greater galaxy. And in addition, a few randomly selected winners are getting t-shirts! If you’re listed below please send us your address, American t-shirt size (S,M,L) and your t-shirt preference.

Challenge Winners:

Alexandra Paramor
Timothy Andrews
Lochie S
Edvin K
Dominic Maltais-T
Peter Hallam

Written and hosted by Matt O’Dowd
Produced by Rusty Ward
Made by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com)

Posted in Physics |

Is This What Quantum Mechanics Looks Like?

November 2nd, 2016

Silicone oil droplets provide a physical realization of pilot wave theories.
Check out Smarter Every Day: http://bit.ly/VeSmarter
Support Veritasium on Patreon: http://bit.ly/VePatreon

Huge thanks to:
Dr. Stephane Perrard, Dr Matthieu Labousse, Pr Emmanuel Fort, Pr Yves Couder and their group site http://dualwalkers.com/
Prof. John Bush: http://math.mit.edu/~bush/
Dr. Daniel Harris
Prof. Stephen Bartlett
Looking Glass Universe: http://bit.ly/LGUVe
Workgroup Bohemian Mechanics: http://www.mathematik.uni-muenchen.de/~bohmmech/
Filmed by Raquel Nuno

Thanks to Patreon supporters:
Nathan Hansen, Bryan Baker, Donal Botkin, Tony Fadell, Saeed Alghamdi

Thanks to Google Making and Science for helping me pursue my #sciencegoals. If you want to try this experiment, instructions are here: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12650-016-0383-5

The standard theory of quantum mechanics leaves a bit to be desired. As Richard Feynman put it, “I think I can safely say that no one understands quantum mechanics.” This is because observations of experiments have led us to a theory that contradicts common sense. The wave function contains all the information that is knowable about a particle, yet it can only be used to calculate probabilities of where a particle will likely turn up. It can’t give us an actual account of where the particle went or where it will be at some later time.

Some have suggested that this theory is incomplete. Maybe something is going on beneath the radar of standard quantum theory and somehow producing the appearance of randomness and uncertainty without actually being random or uncertain. Theories of this sort are called hidden variable theories because they propose entities that aren’t observable. One such theory is pilot wave theory, first proposed by de Broglie, but later developed by Bohm. The idea here is that a particle oscillates, creating a wave. It then interacts with the wave and this complex interaction determines its motion.

Experiments using silicone oil droplets on a vibrating bath provide a remarkable physical realization of pilot wave theories. They give us a physical picture of what the quantum world might look like if this is what’s going on – and this theory is still deterministic. The particle is never in two places at once and there is no randomness.

Edited by Robert Dahlem

Sound design by A Shell in the Pit

Posted in Uncategorized |

The Many Worlds of the Quantum Multiverse

October 26th, 2016

Is our universe a definitive single reality or is it merely one within an infinitely branching multiverse? Be sure to check out Physics Girl’s Dianna Cowern for more awesome science https://www.youtube.com/c/physicsgirl

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The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics tells us that observation collapses a probability wave into a single definitive outcome, but this isn’t the only interpretation of quantum mechanics. The many worlds theory proposes that the wavefunction never actually collapses. The observer simply follows one of those many possible paths into their present reality while all the other paths continue on independent of the observer. Each of these paths branches off into an entirely different reality. In this episode Matt discusses the details of the many worlds theory and why it’s not so far-fetched to think that our reality is simply one of an infinite number of realities existing within space time.

Links to sources:

The Quantum Experiment that Broke Reality
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-MNSLsjjdo

Hugh Everett’s Ph.D. Dissertation
http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/manyworlds/pdf/dissertation.pdf

Crazy Pool Vortex
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnbJEg9r1o8

Previous Episode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jowVq81AgGw

Written and hosted by Matt O’Dowd
Produced by Rusty Ward
Made by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com)

Posted in Physics |

The First Humans on Mars

October 19th, 2016

Elon Musk’s SpaceX program proposes that 100 people could be sent to colonize Mars within 10 years. What might that colony look like? This episode was supported by CuriosityStream. Go to curiositystream.com/spacetime and use the promo code SPACETIME

Jake from Vsauce3 answers the question Why Mars?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RAl8xATLzc&t=0s

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NASA recently announced that they plan to have astronauts in orbit around Mars within 25 years. Not to be outdone, Elon Musk boldly stated that he could prepare a mission to Mars within 10 years. Musk’s SpaceX plan would transport a hundred people to the red planet. Their mission wouldn’t be to visit Mars but to colonize it. In this episode of Space Time Matt breaks down the challenges that the first humans on Mars would face and how they could overcome them.

Links to Sources:

SpaceX Interplanetary Transport System
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qo78R_yYFA&feature=youtu.be

There’s a video link for musk’s presentation we could include at ~1:47
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Uyfqi_TE8

Here is the transcript for the presentation:
http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-mars-speech-transcript-2016-9

NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge:
http://3dpchallenge.tumblr.com/post/128777557703/team-searchclouds-architecture-office-design

Mars Dome’d Habitat by Bryan Versteeg: http://marsforthemany.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/66cd2f794a17ebf808c9a5f7b3b0e01e.jpg

Orion Spacecraft
https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/orion/index.html

Previous Space Time Episode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcv_tYcRgw4

Written and hosted by Matt O’Dowd
Produced by Rusty Ward
Made by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com)

Comments answered by Matt:

Riya Sharma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcv_tYcRgw4&lc=z12vuhcpkqaldxd1t23qdhlr2vn3t5wia04

Kjpmi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcv_tYcRgw4&lc=z12sddfysuvddzvcy22rhb4i4t2yfxlmd

Posted in Physics |

Black Holes from the Dawn of Time

October 12th, 2016

Primordial black holes may be lurking throughout our universe. How large are they, how many are out there and what would happen if they moved through our solar system? To learn more about black holes, gravity and so much more check out The Great Courses Plus by going to http://ow.ly/JqPz30491TL

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Scientists believe that many black holes may have been created at the time of the Big Bang and and are still roaming our universe today. If we found them they would tell us a great deal about the origins of the cosmos.

Previous Episode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAoEnV3Zt_Q

How to Build a Black Hole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx4562gesw0

Do Events Inside Black Holes Happen?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNaEBbFbvcY

Written and hosted by Matt O’Dowd
Produced by Rusty Ward
Made by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com)

Comments answered by Matt:

Parameth Ratnasakha
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgJt6aIeNjKjG5lD9OH75Eg

Turcan Fred
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_gBta_f1xA4bPsdWVoMerg

Leonidas Pereira
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5JxQoYgHYrfttfKipfP5rQ

ZombieWelder
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsvZzjVBZ5PVhvhU4vMAbg

Goodsire
https://www.youtube.com/user/joshyman221

Arduenn Schwartzman
https://www.youtube.com/user/arduenn

Posted in Physics |

Are We Alone? Galactic Civilization Challenge

October 5th, 2016

The Drake Equation tells us the likelihood that there are other advanced technological civilizations waiting for us among the stars. In this episode of Space Time we challenge you to use the Drake Equation to help us determine how near or far these alien races may be. Links to reference material below.

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Everything we’ve learned about our universe tells us that it is very unlikely we are alone. Frank Drake and his Drake Equation compute exactly how unlikely this is. The answer may surprise you.

Written and hosted by Matt O’Dowd
Produced by Rusty Ward
Made by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com)

A New Empirical Constraint on the Prevalence of Technological Species in the Universe
Adam Frank & W.T. Sullivan III
https://arxiv.org/abs/1510.08837

The Drake Equation
http://www.seti.org/drakeequation

G-type stars within 100 light years
http://www.solstation.com/stars3/100-gs.htm

Prevalence of Earth-size planets orbiting Sun-like stars
Erik A. Petigura, Andrew W. Howard, Geoffrey W. Marcy
https://arxiv.org/abs/1311.6806

The Kepler Sample
http://kepler.nasa.gov/science/about/targetFieldOfView/

Planet Hunters X. KIC 8462852 – Where’s the Flux?
Tabby. S. Boyajian, et al.
https://arxiv.org/abs/1509.03622

Posted in Physics |

Life on Europa?

September 29th, 2016

The Hubble Telescope found more evidence of vast plumes of water bursting through the icy surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa. What does this tell us about the potential for life on Europa?

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Previous Episode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tafGL02EUOA

New findings have increased the likelihood that there is a vast ocean lying under the surface of Europa. Jupiter’s moon is emerging as one of the most likely places in our solar system to find life. Why do we think Europa is such a good bet for extra-terrestrial life? What would might that life look-like? And how soon will we be able to confirm this?

Written and hosted by Matt O’Dowd
Produced by Rusty Ward
Made by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com)

Attributions:
Hydrothermal Vents:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1koFEKfmLw

Winter Flounder – Antifreeze Protein
http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/ngl/ngl.do?pdbid=4KE2&bionumber=1

Sky Whale:
Hypothetical advanced underwater life such as might exist in Europa’s ocean.
Image: © Adolf Schaller
http://www.planetary.org/connect/our-experts/profiles/adolf-schaller.html

Comment Links:
Sandy Crotch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tafGL02EUOA&lc=z13stvaxbkqcw11xv04ccnj5luy1gjyplu40k

Daniel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tafGL02EUOA&lc=z12yihmivuf4j30v023vfppbkxfdglidp

David21686
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tafGL02EUOA&lc=z13utpg5xq3ce5pgr04cdr15smqhzliy4dw

Posted in Physics |

Quantum Entanglement and the Great Bohr-Einstein Debate | Space Time | PBS Digital Studios

September 22nd, 2016

For those of you in New York City you can check out Matt live at PBS Nerd Night at the NYC YouTube Space on Thursday night September 22nd. Hope to see you there. to.pbs.org/nerdnight

Albert Einstein strongly disagreed with Niels Bohr when it came to Bohr’s interpretation of quantum mechanics. Quantum entanglement settled the argument once and for all.

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Previous Episode – Self-Replicating Robots and Galactic Domination
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H55wybU3rI

Veritasium’s video Quantum Entanglement and Spooky Action at a Distance at 7:36
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuvK-od647c

How the Quantum Eraser Rewrites the Past at 8:41
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ORLN_KwAgs

Einstein argued that elementary particles maintained their intrinsic values whether they were being observed or not. Bohr believed that in observing such particles we collapsed a wave function of probabilities. He asserted that it is only when these wave functions collapse that one of many probabilities is chosen and the particles take on distinct values. Quantum entanglement, John Stewart Bell and Alain Aspect eventually proved that Bohr was correct.

Written and hosted by Matt O’Dowd
Produced by Rusty Ward
Made by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com)

Comments:

Borne Stellar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H55wybU3rI&lc=z13kddtono20c1h2g22kx1brstvvsthus

Strofi Kornego
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H55wybU3rI&lc=z12vh34b2l2uxvagy04cg5swtqf0s3gb1o00k

Daniel Oberley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H55wybU3rI&lc=z12rsv2yszi5td21w22aytvhxvagg1giz04

Posted in Physics |

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