Tag: science

Mechanical oscillations cause iron to become transparent to gamma rays

Iron nuclei can be made transparent to gamma rays that they would normally absorb using a new technique called “acoustically induced transparency” (AIT).  This feat was achieved by physicists in the US and Russia, who vibrated an iron Mössbauer absorber using a piezoelectric transducer. The researchers believe the effect could help to control the emission of radiation from nuclei, allowing more accurate atomic clocks and other quantum optical devices to be created. The technique could even be used to slow the passage of gamma rays through a material.

The new effect is reminiscent of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), which involves light at much lower optical frequencies than gamma rays. In general, EIT is achieved by using light at one frequency to manipulate the electronic energy levels in an atom in a way that affects its ability to interact with light at another frequency. EIT has been used to produce spectrally pure light in lasers and frequency standards in atomic clocks. But perhaps the most spectacular use of EIT is to slow light to a temporary halt in a medium before letting it loose again.

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Scientists warn it may be years before students can return to school without masks, social distancing

Experts say it may take a couple of years before students can resume classes without the risk of an outbreak,especially among grade-school children. They say a combination of herd immunity, a coronavirus vaccine and hygienic practices are needed to bring the virus down to low enough levels and allow schools to safely return to normal.

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Yale scientists restore cellular function in 32 dead pig brains

The image of an undead brain coming back to live again is the stuff of science fiction. Not just any science fiction, specifically B-grade sci fi. What instantly springs to mind is the black-and-white horrors of films like Fiend Without a Face. Bad acting. Plastic monstrosities. Visible strings. And a spinal cord that, for some reason, is also a tentacle?

But like any good science fiction, it’s only a matter of time before some manner of it seeps into our reality. This week’s Naturepublished the findings of researchers who managed to restore function to pigs’ brains that were clinically dead. At least, what we once thought of as dead.

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THE JUNK SCIENCE COPS USE TO DECIDE YOU’RE LYING

The search for a foolproof method of lie detection has a “long history,” said Richard Leo, a professor of law and psychology at the University of San Francisco School of Law and an expert on interrogation practices. “The search for some way to be able to read body language, demeanor, vocal pitch, gestures and then infer with a high degree of accuracy whether someone is telling the truth.” It just doesn’t exist, he said. He likens many of the claims about human lie detection to claims of psychic ability. “This reminds me of psychics and the lottery. If there was a psychic and they could see what the lottery numbers are, that would just be gold, right? Why wouldn’t they win $400 million when the Powerball is up there?”

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