Researchers at St. Andrews University, Scotland, claim to have found a way to simulate an event horizon of a black hole – not through a new cosmic observation technique, and not by a high powered supercomputer… but in the laboratory. Using lasers, a length of optical fiber and depending on some bizarre quantum mechanics, a “singularity” may be created to alter a laser’s wavelength, synthesizing the effects of an event horizon. If this experiment can produce an event horizon, the theoretical phenomenon of Hawking Radiation may be tested, perhaps giving Stephen Hawking the best chance yet of winning the Nobel Prize.
So how do you create a black hole? In the cosmos, black holes are created by the collapse of massive stars. The mass of the star collapses down to a single point (after running out of fuel and undergoing a supernova) due to the massive gravitational forces acting on the body. Should the star exceed a certain mass “limit” (i.e. the Chandrasekhar limit – a maximum at which the mass of a star cannot support its structure against gravity), it will collapse into a discrete point (a singularity). Space-time will be so warped that all local energy (matter and radiation) will fall into the singularity. The distance from the singularity at which even light cannot escape the gravitational pull is known as the event horizon. High energy particle collisions by cosmic rays impacting the upper atmosphere might produce micro-black holes (MBHs). The Large Hadron Collider (at CERN, near Geneva, Switzerland) may also be capable of producing collisions energetic enough to create MBHs. Interestingly, if the LHC can produce MBHs, Stephen Hawking’s theory of “Hawking Radiation” may be proven should the MBHs created evaporate almost instantly.
Hawking predicts that black holes emit radiation. This theory is paradoxical, as no radiation can escape the event horizon of a black hole. However, Hawking theorizes that due to a quirk in quantum dynamics, black holes can produce radiation.
A team of scientists from the University of Heidelberg (Germany), the Technical University of Vienna (Austria) and the University of Science and Technology of China for the first time has succeeded in buffering a quantum bit during its transmission. The achievement could be used for the construction of quantum repeaters and perhaps, eventually, to build a memory for a quantum computer.
The team succeeded in storing the quantum bit while performing an experimental transmittal of an unknown quantum state, a spokesperson of the group explained. Hitherto, it was not possible to store and read out a quantum state.
During the experiment, the scientists transferred the state of a photon to what they called an atomic quantum store. In this atomic ensemble, the state was stored for 8 microseconds before it was read out again and transferred to a photon.
Luddites across the globe… eat your heart out!
(And yes, I deliberately put all the cool stuff on top to piss off luddites.)
Be sure to watch this ‘ere video. It’ll blow your socks off.
Especially if your a Trekkie. Then you simply cannot afford to not watch it.
Have I got some groovy new techstuff for you!
First off, Microsofts new technology that represents the future of computing (and management of… things that need management).DARwIn will be America’s first humanoid RoboCup competitor
‘Almost Human’ by Lee Gutkind (review of book about robot intelligence)
First off, a few links that talk about the latest demonstration of a quantum computer:
Next up, biotech, robots and cybernetics:
Some other stuff that’s also cool:
If you’re alive in 20 years, you may be able to live forever.
Cloning mice from stem cells?
Building CPU’s with 80 cores?
Reading the mind?
Nothing seems out of reach for modern science these days.
Have a look for yourself…
Envisioning the Future (of personal healthcare)
Where can you read about next generation videogames, nanotechnology, stem cell research, cancer breakthroughs and mysterious physics-coolness all at once?
Well, only at Our Technological Future ofcourse!
I have here no less than twenty tech-links for your entertainment. Enjoy!
Many people don’t keep a lasting impression of individual articles reporting on technological breakthroughs.
That’s why I collect a bunch and post them altogether. There’s 36 of ’em!
Dear reader, have a look at your technological future!
All but Ageless, Turtles Face Their Biggest Threat: Humans (This is not directly a tech-link, but it does discuss a turtle-species that does not age. It is an example of the fact that immortality is completely natural. This is relevant to life-extension and thus relevant to this blog.)
Another great collection of recent breakthroughs in technology.
Enjoying all this? Tell your friends!!
10 Emerging Technologies (hot!!!)
Where can you get 27 of the coolest technology links, all collected in one blogpost?
That’s right. Only here, on Our Technological Future.
One for the Ages: A Prescription That May Extend Life
Computing, 2016: What Won’t Be Possible?
The quantum world is about to get bigger
Rerouting Brain Circuits with Implanted Chips
Researchers teach computers how to name images by ‘thinking’