Physics - Gizmodo

posts about #physics more →
Confirmed: CERN Is Just a Huge Half-Life Level
A Brief History of Williard Boyle and George Smith, CCD Inventors and Nobel Winners
Nobel Prize In Physics Rewards Fiber Optics Expert, CCD Creators
She's Got It Where It Counts, Kid: LHC Hyperdrive Testing a Possibility
Large Hadron Collider "Light" Will Half-End World In November
World's Fastest Car Wash Has Certain Disadvantages
A Pack of Wild Canadians Claims They Can Deliver Nuclear Fusion on the Cheap
Historic, Gigantic Atom Smasher to Be Demolished
Doomsday Postponed Until October
Theoretical Warp Drives Theorized To Be Black Hole-Creating Doomsday Devices

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

RoboBagins
10/30/09

In reply to Confirmed: CERN Is Just a Huge Half-Life Level
So if CERN is Black Mesa, just who is Aperture Science? #cernhalflife
Reply

RoboBagins was starred RoboBagins was unstarred

KTK1990
10/30/09

In reply to Confirmed: CERN Is Just a Huge Half-Life Level
I hope they have some big doors there that lock tight, to hold all the aliens in there.

But, the vortigons (sp?), can actually be useful and go into the medical industry. Since they revived Alyx after her enounter with the hunter. #cernhalflife
Reply

KTK1990 was starred KTK1990 was unstarred

ripfire
10/30/09

In reply to Confirmed: CERN Is Just a Huge Half-Life Level
Not sure about that. I don't see the crowbar... #cernhalflife
Reply

ripfire was starred ripfire was unstarred

Gordonium
10/30/09

In reply to Confirmed: CERN Is Just a Huge Half-Life Level
As a guy named Gordon -- and a Gordon who has worked at particle accelerators before, and is wearing a SLAC hoodie at this very moment, at that -- I completely agree with this assessment. #cernhalflife
Reply

spannu promoted this comment Gordonium was starred Gordonium was unstarred

Jackhole
10/30/09

In reply to Confirmed: CERN Is Just a Huge Half-Life Level
Needs more boxes and 50 gallon barrels. And headcrabs. #cernhalflife
Reply

dingus promoted this comment Jackhole was starred Jackhole was unstarred

dingus
10/30/09

@Jackhole: The halls in the basement of the local University's physics department are lined with big crates, usually marked with some indication that it had once shipped some sort of big honking laser. #cernhalflife
Reply

dingus was starred dingus was unstarred

Jackhole
10/31/09

@dingus: Clearly CERN needs some instruction from your local Univ. They also need more dangling, sparking electrical wires. #cernhalflife
Reply

Jackhole was starred Jackhole was unstarred

squishyalt
10/13/09

In reply to A Brief History of Williard Boyle and George Smith, CCD Inventors and Nobel Winners
Wow. Dude, that's like way back when you had to actually DO SOMETHING to win a Nobel prize!

Good find!
Reply

Coolmodo promoted this comment squishyalt was starred squishyalt was unstarred

Coolmodo
10/13/09

@squishyalt: lol nice one
Reply

Coolmodo was starred Coolmodo was unstarred

krazydonutboy
10/12/09

In reply to A Brief History of Williard Boyle and George Smith, CCD Inventors and Nobel Winners
how did they take a picture of the first ccd?
Reply

Pope John Peeps II promoted this comment krazydonutboy was starred krazydonutboy was unstarred

nukee
10/12/09

@krazydonutboy: Uh... film?
Reply

Pope John Peeps II promoted this comment nukee was starred nukee was unstarred

Pope John Peeps II
10/12/09

@krazydonutboy: Why are you wasting your time here? You have a bright future writing dialogue for "Two and a half men", or "According to Jim".
Reply

Pope John Peeps II was starred

fleebailey33
10/12/09

In reply to A Brief History of Williard Boyle and George Smith, CCD Inventors and Nobel Winners
what would i do if i couldn't see sasha grey in 1080p?
Reply

fleebailey33 was starred fleebailey33 was unstarred

psychonaut2021:Secrets of the Pineal Gland
10/12/09

In reply to A Brief History of Williard Boyle and George Smith, CCD Inventors and Nobel Winners
Long live porn, without it I have no reason to exist. Oh and thanks Williard and George.
Reply

jepzilla
10/12/09

In reply to She's Got It Where It Counts, Kid: LHC Hyperdrive Testing a Possibility
That's actually really, really interesting. Basically, the way a space vehicle works is you fling stuff out the back. The exhaust gains some momentum in one direction and you get an equal amount of momentum in the direction you want to go. Chemical rockets work by shooting large amounts of propellant (exhaust) out the back at low speeds. Electrical rockets work by shooting out a lot less propellant, at much higher speeds. The amount of momentum you gain for a given amount of propellant is known as specific impulse, and generally the bigger number the better. Increasing specific impulse can have a huge impact on the fuel requirements for a given mission, which is why electrical engines (with very high specific impulses) are so interesting.

But what Hilbert proposed is that you can actually get MORE momentum out of your propellant than you put in, if your exhaust speed is above half the speed of light. Now usually what relativity giveth, relativity taketh away. But assuming that there aren't any gotchas that make this useless in practical terms (big assumption), it could point the way toward engine designs which require an order of magnitude less fuel than even fancy shmancy electrical engines.
Reply

jepzilla was starred jepzilla was unstarred

jp.rider63
10/12/09

@jepzilla: Doesn't this break conservation of energy, assuming there is only kinetic energy? Do you know where an english copy of the paper is?
Reply

Navin R Johnson promoted this comment jp.rider63 was starred jp.rider63 was unstarred

izzledizzle28
10/12/09

In reply to Nobel Prize In Physics Rewards Fiber Optics Expert, CCD Creators
glad to see someone won a nobel award for real results and achievements...
Reply

ilovexspin promoted this comment izzledizzle28 was starred izzledizzle28 was unstarred

Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
10/11/09

In reply to Nobel Prize In Physics Rewards Fiber Optics Expert, CCD Creators

"It's a major award."
Reply

Kaiser-Machead
10/11/09

In reply to Nobel Prize In Physics Rewards Fiber Optics Expert, CCD Creators
Since the current Nobel Prize is gold-wrapped chocolate, they can just split it evenly.
Reply

Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred

TheCrudMan
10/11/09

@Kaiser-Machead:
Are these teeth marks.
I thought it was chocolate.
It isn't!
Then why was it wrapped in foil?!
It was never wrapped in foil!
Reply

Kaiser-Machead promoted this comment TheCrudMan was starred TheCrudMan was unstarred

Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
10/11/09

In reply to Nobel Prize In Physics Rewards Fiber Optics Expert, CCD Creators
Nobel Prizes were being handed out like candy this week.
Reply

puhsitch
10/11/09

@Jrsy Devil's Bright Idea®: Actually, few people know that the Peace Prize is, in fact, made of fine Swiss chocolate.
Reply

puhsitch was starred puhsitch was unstarred

jepzilla
10/12/09

@puhsitch: Why not? I'd kill for some good Swiss chocolate.
Reply

jepzilla was starred jepzilla was unstarred

Curves
10/11/09

In reply to She's Got It Where It Counts, Kid: LHC Hyperdrive Testing a Possibility
All the drama surrounding this thing isnt helping We, the Paranoid Public, feel any better about it.
Reply

Curves was starred Curves was unstarred

Earlier threads | All threads | Show hidden threads | Show featured threads only | Start a new discussion