The STEM thread

I was expecting the kinds of responses I got from JL and UT.

I didn't expect the kind of response that aloyoius provided, but I should have.

Technology doesn't exist in a vacuum - it is developed by humans and it affects humans. Not all effects are beneficial, and it's incumbent upon both technology developers and society at large to examine the potentials for both good and bad for any new technology.

FWIW, I think dancing robots is a good thing. :banana:
I found the Boston Dynamics robot I can finally identify with!

View: https://gfycat.com/easytamegrouse
 
 
It's mentally as hard to grasp as the perpetual motion issue. But in the back of my mind, I've always imagined us finding the answer. If the more energy out than in is perfected, the immeasurable advancement of life as we know, the world as we know it, is unimagineable.

Awesome, or so it seems, Tip. (y)
 
It's mentally as hard to grasp as the perpetual motion issue. But in the back of my mind, I've always imagined us finding the answer. If the more energy out than in is perfected, the immeasurable advancement of life as we know, the world as we know it, is unimagineable.

Awesome, or so it seems, Tip. (y)

You are absolutely right, Tim. Cheap and reliable energy is essential for human life, progress, and flourishing.
 

Good in-depth look at one of the top mathematicians of our time.

(It may require a subscription to the NYTimes to read this.)
 
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Good in-depth look at one of the top mathematicians of our time.

(It may require a subscription to the NYTimes to read this.)
It is behind a pay wall, but if you choose "reader view" it will display the article. This works about 1/2 the time in my estimation. Well, at least on a Mac using Safari.
 

Exploring strange new worlds. Understanding the origins of the universe. Searching for life in the galaxy. These are not the plot of a new science fiction movie, but the mission objectives of the James Webb Space Telescope, the long-awaited successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA is building and launching the Webb in partnership with the European Space Agency and Canada.

The launch, which will propel the Webb to nearly a million miles away, is now scheduled for December 18, 2021. When it fully deploys in space, the Webb will usher in a new age of astronomy, scientists say, and show humanity things it has never seen before.

“The Webb represents the culmination of decades, if not centuries, of astronomy,” says Sara Seager, a planetary scientist and astrophysicist at MIT. “We’ve been waiting for this a very long time.”

Scientists started thinking about a follow-up even before the Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990. After more than three decades in space, it’s unclear how much longer this boundary-breaking satellite will be able to scan and photograph the universe.

The Webb was originally supposed to launch in 2010 and cost around $1 billion. Its price tag has since ballooned to $10 billion, and it’s way overdue. But the wait will be worth it, at least according to the scientists who expect new and revealing glimpses of our universe.

“We’re going right up to the edge of the observable universe with Webb,” says Caitlin Casey, an assistant professor of astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin. “And yeah, we’re excited to see what’s there.”

The Webb will surpass the Hubble in several ways. It will allow astronomers to look not only farther out in space but also further back in time: It will search for the first stars and galaxies of the universe. It will allow scientists to make careful studies of numerous exoplanets — planets that orbit stars other than our sun — and even embark on a search for signs of life there.

The Webb is a machine for answering unanswered questions about the universe, for exploring what has been unexplorable until now. Here’s a guide to what the Webb is capable of.

The launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, named after famed astronomer Edwin Hubble, was itself a huge leap forward for astronomy. Here on Earth, astronomers seek out remote mountaintops and deserts to build major telescopes for the best chance of viewing a dark sky away from pollution and bright lights. But their view is still marred by the slight haze and luminescence of the Earth’s atmosphere. Space is “the ultimate mountaintop,” as NASA explains. There’s no better view of space than the one from, well, space.

Hubble has meant so much during its 30-year run. For one thing, it’s sent us unforgettable, jaw-droppingly beautiful images like those of the Lagoon Nebula and the Pillars of Creation.


More at the link.
 

Nearly 500 Mesoamerican monuments revealed by laser mapping—many for the first time​

Survey indicates some ceremonial complexes appeared earlier than thought​


We've have an infinate amount of important knowledge of the Mayan culture sitting on our horizon. Fascinating stuff. And technology! wow.

Cheesr
 
Here's a pretty well-written and accessible article on the Big Bang, inflation, and the Multiverse (not the same thing as the Metaverse).

And an enthusiastic Happy New Year to everyone!

 
Here's a pretty well-written and accessible article on the Big Bang, inflation, and the Multiverse (not the same thing as the Metaverse).

And an enthusiastic Happy New Year to everyone!


I thought this was gonna be about Sheldon and Leonard (and Penny!!), the Biden economy and the Avengers...
 
We've have an infinate amount of important knowledge of the Mayan culture sitting on our horizon. Fascinating stuff. And technology! wow.

Cheesr

I find it ironic that new advances in lidar and things of that ilk are going to eventually turn history on it's ear and piss off infinite numbers of scientific types who have
been way off with all of their conclusions about the origins of human civilization. It is way, way older than the rank and file insist and they'd rather nobody noticed.

What we need is an accurate way to determine the age of a cut made in stone and everything goes sideways and a lot of textbooks become worthless.

The picture below is from a little-known and completely baffling megalithic stone formation in Siberia knows as Gornaya Shoria. Some of these stone blocks are estimated
to weigh 3,000 tons and have been cut, carried and stacked into a wall 40 meters high. Most of the smart guys HATE this discovery and they are claims that the stones
are natural and not worked by man. Ahem. They're going to hate all the new stuff from Mesoamerica, which, all due respect, will likely be distinct from and predate anything we know of the Mayans, Incas, Olmec, etc. gornaya.jpg

If an archaeologist can't explain something in a nicely wrapped package then they do their level best to ignore or bury it, no pun intended and we need a new breed to figure
out who we are from who we were.
 

Reardon Metal? Makes for insanely strong, long-lasting high-speed rail tracks and bridges that last lifetimes. The John Galt line was the first to run trains on such magnificence in 1957. 😁

In all seriousness the advancements in materials lately has been something to behold. However, I'm uncertain how long it can last with current state of education as it reaches STEM subjects.
 
Reardon Metal? Makes for insanely strong, long-lasting high-speed rail tracks and bridges that last lifetimes. The John Galt line was the first to run trains on such magnificence in 1957. 😁

In all seriousness the advancements in materials lately has been something to behold. However, I'm uncertain how long it can last with current state of education as it reaches STEM subjects.
They should approach Ms Rand's estate and try to acquire a license for the Reardon name.

Cheers, :toast:
 
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