Recent studies have revealed that the bending of light around massive galaxies is significantly smaller relative to theoretical expectations. This finding, the so-called lensing is low problem, has been interpreted as a breakdown of our cosmological model. Now, a team of scientists has found that the mismatch between theory and observations is actually caused by […]
nets One of the most interesting aspects of Joseph Sneed’s structuralist view of science is the one I mentioned in passing in my last entry: the fact that a scientific theory must not be understood as a mere combination or conjunction of different propositions (its “axioms”, plus the indefinite number of assertions they make about […]
Scientists ran a comprehensive analysis of data from collisions of heavy ions (actually, nuclei of atoms) to determine which factors most influence fluctuations in the flow of particles . They found that the conditions that are established just as the ions collide have the greatest impact. These conditions are related to the size of the […]
Semantic Author: Juan F. Trillo, PhD in Linguistics and Philosophy (U. Autónoma de Madrid), PhD in Literary Studies (U. Complutense de Madrid). Among the many features that differentiate us from other animals, one of the most striking is our ability to communicate. No other species has developed such an elaborate and effective language for exchanging […]
Tiger personality may be correlated with health Surveys of caretakers for 248 Siberian tigers at two fenced wildlife sanctuaries in China suggest that tigers have distinct personalities. Nearly 40% of the tigers’ behaviours fell into the “majesty” category, described as confident, competitive, and ambitious, or the “steadiness” category, reflecting obedience, tolerance, and gentleness. Those demonstrating […]
Quantum hair: The solution to the Hawking paradox? Researchers claim to have solved the Hawking paradox, or the conflict between quantum mechanics and the idea that black holes destroy all information about the stars that served as their creators. They suggest the radiation around black holes, also known as quantum hair, can hold onto information […]
In the search for novel materials, the simulation of quantum matter is an extremely demanding computational task, which is expected to profit substantially from the surge of quantum technologies. Quantum algorithms for programmable quantum computers offer the most flexible approaches, but tailor-made quantum simulators are particularly well suited for large-scale simulations. For instance, tremendous efforts […]
The acquisition of the native language (L1) is fast and unconscious. By the time children are 4-5 years old, their competence in the L1 is already adult-like (Aparici & Igualada, 2019). One of the underlying factors of this competence is linguistic exposure, since children constantly listen to their caretakers speak the native language. Another factor […]
Nuclear physicists have found a new way to see details inside atomic nuclei . They do so by tracking interactions between photons and gluons—the gluelike particles that hold together the building blocks of protons and neutrons. The method relies on harnessing a new type of quantum interference between two dissimilar particles. Tracking how these entangled […]
Food waste represents a serious problem associated with today’s society to which a solution should be found. A notable share of the impacts originates from the fishing sector. It hardly results acceptable that, in a world with shrinking food resources, 25% of the total fishing catches end up being discarded as waste. It should be […]