Andrew's Physics Blog

That September 10 date can be misleading, however. The various detectors inside the LHC have been detecting cosmic rays for several months and have already detected the first particles from events inside the LHC itself, as part of the synchronization tests.

Laying aside the various doomsday scenarios, which fail to carry weight in court and will likely fail to carry any wait experimentally, what do we expect to find with the LHC? Well, scientists are hoping to actually observe the elusive Higgs boson, which is predicted by the Standard Model of quantum physics.

One excellent question is posed by high school student and science blogger Alex Reichenbach. While I give credit where credit is do for posing the question, young Alex jumps around a bit disjointedly and never satisfactorily answers the question.

What will happen if the Large Hadron Collider fails to detect the Higgs boson? Do you think that a scientific revolution would be imminent? Does failure to detect the Higgs result in throwing out the Standard Model in favor of ... something else? And, if so, what else?

Two founders of Galaxy Zoo, Chris Lintott & Kate Land, have recently reflected on the experience and, more generally, on the nature of amateur astronomy, both traditionally and through dispersed computer networks.

Image: Image of a spiral galaxy provided by StockTrek / Getty Images.

• Sept. 1, 1804 - German astronomer Karl Ludwig Harding discovers Juno, one of largest asteroids in the asteroid belt.
• Sept. 3, 1905 - American experimental physicist Carl David Anderson is born. Anderson would receive the 1936 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of the positron.
• Sept. 5, 1906 - Austrian physicist Ludwig Boltzmann dies. Part of the illustrious Boltzmann family, which permeated nineteenth century European intellectual life in mathematics & the sciences, Ludwig is best known for his work in statistical mechanics and thermodynamics. He strongly advocated atomic theory, well before it was popular to do so.
• Sept. 3, 1976 - U.S. spacecraft Viking II arrived on Mars, landing at Utopia Planitia, and took the first pictures of the planet's surface. Viking II was, of course, an unmanned spacecraft.
• Sept. 2, 1992 - The first automobile powered by natural gas is purchased. Fifty of these alternative fuel vehicles were purchased and put into service by the Southern California Gas Company.

On September 10, the world will be witnessing the rise of the most powerful particle accelerator ever with the activation of CERN's Large Hadron Collider. This will be carried out in Europe with, largely, America acting in the role of an observer.

Meanwhile, one has to wonder whether America will ever really take the steps necessary to devote ourselves to the study of pure science again. Bell Labs earned 6 Nobel Prizes, including the invention of the transistor and the laser, arguably two of the most fundamental technological developments of the 20th century, which allowed for the creation of computers and communication devices on a scale that made them able to transform our day-to-day lives!

This research was not carried out because of market trends, but because of a dedication to learning more about the world. It was "pure research" but also was carried out with an understanding that gaining knowledge, and leveraging it in effective ways, yields positive economic results.

Now, though, the scope of pure research is diminishing throughout America. Bell Labs is certainly not alone in its myopic desire to focus on only a handful of applied technologies, growing ever more specialized. Science departments at universities grow similarly focused on the one or two areas where they have, historically, excelled the most.

In 1904, the fields of inquiry which had the greatest impact throughout the twentieth century - quantum physics, atomic physics, nuclear physics, relativity, particle physics, lasers, transistor electronics, and so on - were literally non-existent. It was the most pure of pure research, thought experiments on purely abstract topics such as how to explain Brownian motion and the motion of charged particles, which brought about the television, nuclear energy (and bombs), cell phones and communication transformations, lasers, personal computing, and the like.

The transformation of tomorrow lies with knowledge that is just without our reach today. In order to access it, pure research must be allowed the chance to raise its arms up high, resting on the shoulders of government and industry. Without having the chance to perform this research, it is sad to think what will happen to our country and our world ... or, even worse, what will not be allowed to happen.

Related Articles:

• The Great Beyond Blog @ Nature - Bell Labs: it tolls for thee
• EE Times - Bell Labs exits chip research
• Wired - Bell Labs Kills Fundamental Physics Research
• Nature - Bell Labs bottoms out (Nature subscription or payment required to access article)

To counter this concern, some have proposed quantum cryptography, by which particles use quantum entanglement to make sure that information passes between them in a completely secure manner. Though there has been some success in transmitting this information long distances (see Quantum Encryption Through Space), these systems still have not proven effective in transmitting the encryption through fiber optic cable systems over distances longer than a few kilometers.

A new form of quantum encryption experiment uses multiple clouds of rhubidium atoms which become sort of entangled chain and can be used to transmit the entanglement the full distance required for the encryption. According to the experimenters, this system would require a cloud about every 10 kilometers, but in theory should be able to be used for pretty much any distance required.

Though this particular experiment is pretty much a "proof of principle" experiment, it comes at a time when technology companies are looking to exploit quantum encryption in a realm of growing information insecurity. This technology is on the brink of going commercial on a large scale and every movement in that direction is worthy of note.

Related Articles:

• Nature - Quantum cryptography can go the distance
• EE Times - Researchers create quantum repeater
• Nature - Quantum communication: repeat performance (editor's summary)
• Nature - Experimental demonstration of a BDCZ quantum repeater node (Nature subscription or payment required for full paper access)
• What Is a Quantum Computer?
• Building a Faster Qubit
• Still More on Quantum Computers
• Quantum Encryption Through Space

• Aug. 25, 1609 - Galileo Galilei demonstrates his improved version of the Dutch invention, the telescope, to Venetian lawmakers for the first time.
• Aug. 29, 1831 - By some sources, this is the birthday of electromagnetic induction, discovered by Michael Faraday.
• Aug. 28, 1845 - The first issue of Scientific American is published.
• Aug. 26, 1882 - German physicist James Franck is born. His confirmation of the Bohr model of the atom in the Franck-Hertz experiment helped earn him the 1925 Nobel Prize in Physics.
• Aug. 25, 1908 - French physicist Antoine Henri Becquerel dies. Becquerel was one of the discoverers of radioactivity and earned the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics for this work, along with the Curies.
• Aug. 25, 1928 - American theoretical physicist Herbert Kroemer is born. Kroemer's 1952 dissertation on heat effects in transistors from electrons, which helped set the stage for subsequent work on semiconductors, for which he received the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physics.
• Aug. 30, 1940 - British scientist Sir Joseph John Thompson (J.J. Thompson) dies. Thompson is regarded as a key figure in the electronics revolution, as he is the one who discovered the existence of the electron, as well as charged isotopes. Thompson also invented the mass spectrometer.
• Aug. 29, 1949 - The USSR performs its first atomic bomb test. The bomb was known as First Lightning.
• Aug. 31, 1955 - The first solar-powered car is demonstrated at the 1955 General Motors Powerama in Chicago. The car was designed by William G. Cobb.
• August 27, 1958 - American physicist Ernest Orlando Lawrence dies. Lawrence invented the cyclotron, a device which uses magnetic fields to focus a beam of charged particles at high speeds, for which he received the 1939 Nobel Prize in physics.
• Aug. 26, 1998 - American physicist Frederick Reines dies. Reines was one of the main researchers in the discovery and study of the neutrino, for which he received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Physics.
• Aug. 27, 2003 - Mars reaches its closest approach to the Earth in nearly 60,000 years at a distance of approximately 34.5 million miles.

The problem with previous attempts to create a qubit has been in stabilizing them. Quantum systems are notoriously delicate, because almost any interaction causes the quantum wave function to collapse into a single state. Maintaining the decoherence, the "on" and "off" nature simultaneously, has proven a real challenge.

A new paper in Nature Physics shows that work by researchers from the University of Michigan, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, and University of California at San Diego, may have finally stabilized the duality within the qubit. Using lasers, the scientists are able to trap the spin of a single electron in a "dark state" which doesn't absorb the light. Because the light is not absorbed, the wave function doesn't collapse.

Not only is this qubit the first one to be stable, it's also the fastest. The lasers allow manipulation of the qubit at a rate of a billion times per second, which translates into a computing speed of about a GigaHertz.

Related Articles:

• What is a Quantum Computer?
• Quantum Physics Overview
• Science Daily - Fastest Quantum Computer Building Block Created
• Nature Physics - Coherent population trapping of an electron spin in a single negatively charged quantum dot (abstract)

I have the theory that: if you drive a vehicle into a static, unbreakable wall, you will feel the same G-force and get the same injuries as if you would drive into your exact copy but mirrored (same car, weight, velocity, angle) head to head.

Everybody that I talk to say there would be more energy transferred to the drivers and more injuries, like there would be some extra energy created, but I don't agree. I think the effect should be exactly the same when the energy is divided between the bodies no matter if it's a wall or your mirror image/clone.

A couple of people bring up the particle accelerator and tell me that there's a reason why they accelerate two particles against each other. "It will create more energy, thus damaging the particles more, as with the cars and their drivers."

But I think that only shatters the atoms more, like throwing two glass bottles really hard and they shatter all over more than just throwing a glass at a wall. Cars don't shatter like that so I don't think it applies when the bodies come to a stop.

There are several concepts at work here and I thought about it a bit and have responded in the article "What Is the Physics of Car Collisions?"

Let me know what you think about my response. Did I miss any key points?

I frequently get a lot of questions, especially around this time of year, for suggestions on studying physics. Actually, what I tend to get are e-mails asking me to explain physics (or quantum physics or thermodynamics or relativity or fluid mechanics or energy or momentum or ... well, you get the idea). Sorry to disappoint everyone, but here's a sad truth:

There are a variety of tactics which can help at having success in a physics course this fall. Many of these suggestions are not necessarily specific to physics courses. Being prepared for school in general will obviously help in being prepared for physics courses. Toward that end, you can check out the About.com Back to School site for some general back to school tips.

One option to prepare for fall classes is to review various free online course options and see if the lectures or materials available will parallel your own classes. Watching them ahead of time, as well as reading your textbook in advance, will help you be prepared for the material when the teacher presents it. This also gives you the chance to map out any areas of uncertainty and, if your teacher doesn't clarify it in the lecture, you will be ready to ask questions.

Take detailed notes on both readings and lectures. The notes should include all vocabulary terms and relevant formulas. This is also a good place to take notes on anything that you need to ask further questions about.

Of course, there are some specific tips related to studying physics and science which can be especially helpful. One of my first major suggestions is that you get comfortable with the idea of dimensional analysis. Frequently, by knowing the units that are involved, a student can determine how to use one set of values to get the value that is needed by the problem.

Physics is the study of how to apply scientific knowledge and, as such, typically involves solving physics problems. Work all assigned problems, but also glance through problems and examples which are not specifically assigned. The goal of this review is to see if you at least understand what the questions are asking - you don't need to solve them all. If solutions are in the back of the textbook, look at those to see if you can determine how they were arrived at. (This is also a good tip for any science or mathematics course. It can quickly become time consuming, but will definitely be worth it.)

• What Is Physics?
• What Skills Do I Need To Study Physics?
• Why Study Physics?
• Prepare for Fall Courses Online
• Dimensional Analysis
• Classroom Physics Tips
• Grand Ideas of Science

Provide your own tips for preparing for physics courses or ask for specific suggestions on the best way to study (or teach) a specific topic by leaving a comment on the blog.

• Aug. 19, 1662 - French mathematician, philosopher, & physicist Blaise Pascal dies. Pascal was best known for his mathematical work, especially the formation of Pascal's Triangle (although he was not the first to develop it) as well as work in probability. In physics, Pascal is known for his impassioned defense of the scientific method, studies of fluids, and early work in thermodynamics, most notably pressure and vacuum experiments.
• Aug. 23, 1806 - French physicist Charles Augustin de Coulomb dies. His best-known achievement is the discovery of Coulomb's law for electrostatic force. The SI unit of charge, the coulomb, was named after him.
• Aug. 21, 1814 - Early American physicist and inventor Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, dies. Thompson's work in questioning the orthodox physical theories of the time helped lay the foundation for revolutions in thermodynamics, especially in the realms of specific heats, heat transfers and thermal conducitivity. His views on heat as a form of motion helped lead to the kinetic theory and also the laws of conservation of energy.
• Aug. 20, 1961 - American physicist Percy Williams Bridgman dies. Bridgman won the 1946 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in high-pressure physics.
• Aug. 21, 1993 - The Mars Observer spacecraft signal is lost by NASA.
• Aug. 21, 1995 - American astrophysicist (born in British India) Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar dies. Chandrasekhar's theoretical work in cosmology and stellar evolution earned him the 1983 Nobel Prize in physics. The Chandra X-Ray Observatory satellite, deployed into space by the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1999, was named in his honor after a contest with 6,000 proposed names.
• Aug. 24, 2006 - The International Astronomical Union comes to the conclusion that they will redefine the term "planet" so that Pluto is no longer a planet.