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January 15, 2006

Teleportation Explained

Posted by Eric at 10:00 pm. Filed under: Science

Quantum entanglement … the key to real life teleportation?

The Entanglement Theory

When a photon (usually polarized laser light) passes through matter, it will be absorbed by an electron. Eventually, and spontaneously, the electron will return to its ground state by emitting the photon. Certain crystal structures increase the likelihood that the photon will split into two photons, both of them with longer wavelengths than the original. Keep in mind that a longer wavelength means a lower frequency, and thus less energy. The total energy of the two photons must equal the energy of the photon originally fired from the laser (conservation of energy).

It is this instant communication between the entangled photons to indicate each other’s polarization that lies at the very heart of quantum entanglement. This is the “spooky action at a distance” that Einstein believed was theoretically implausible.

In his newest book, Aczel (Fermat’s Last Theorem) discusses a great mystery in physics: the concept of entanglement in quantum physics. He begins by explaining that “entanglement” occurs when two subatomic particles are somehow connected or “entangled” with one another, so that when something happens to one particle, the same thing simultaneously happens to the other particle, even if it’s miles away.


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Isaac Berzin’s Algae Growing Smokestacks

Posted by Eric at 8:28 am. Filed under: Science

An MIT rocket scientist has discovered something really cool. You can grow algae in smokestacks, and it reduces CO2 and nitrous oxide emissions, and the algae can be used productively!

Fed a generous helping of CO2-laden emissions, courtesy of the power plant’s exhaust stack, the algae grow quickly even in the wan rays of a New England sun. The cleansed exhaust bubbles skyward, but with 40 percent less CO2 (a larger cut than the Kyoto treaty mandates) and another bonus: 86 percent less nitrous oxide.

After the CO2 is soaked up like a sponge, the algae is harvested daily. From that harvest, a combustible vegetable oil is squeezed out: biodiesel for automobiles. Berzin hands a visitor two vials - one with algal biodiesel, a clear, slightly yellowish liquid, the other with the dried green flakes that remained. Even that dried remnant can be further reprocessed to create ethanol, also used for transportation.

Not only that, it could be profitable!

Being a good Samaritan on air quality usually costs a bundle. But Berzin’s pitch is one hard-nosed utility executives and climate-change skeptics might like: It can make a tidy profit.

One key is selecting an algae with a high oil density - about 50 percent of its weight. Because this kind of algae also grows so fast, it can produce 15,000 gallons of biodiesel per acre. Just 60 gallons are produced from soybeans, which along with corn are the major biodiesel crops today.


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Ohio High School Assigns Internet Porn

Posted by Eric at 8:15 am. Filed under: Randomly Interesting

At least the parents had the good sense to get involved, and the superintendent Jeff Lampert agreed it was inappropriate.

The assignment asked [14-15 year old] students to research pornography on the Internet and list eight facts about pornography. Students also were asked to write their personal views of pornography and any experience they had with it.


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