Energy and Intensity: Analogy Needed

Energy and Intensity: Analogy Needed

In the past weeks I have been writing a piece about the Large Hadron Collider for a science popularization magazine, and I found myself squeezing my brain for a good analogy to the work of particle…
SUSY's Apology For Not Showing Up

SUSY's Apology For Not Showing Up

Teaching a subnuclear physics course is a quite refreshing experience. In general, much of the stuff that one has learned through years of sweating on books slowly degrades and becomes "fuzzy". That…
The permittivity of vacuum - why?

The permittivity of vacuum - why?

I have been again teaching two subjects where electric and magnetic phenomena are important (atomic physics and solid state physics) and met naturally new students. I always tell about the SI system…
Fahrenheit -459 And The Sixth State Of Matter

Fahrenheit -459 And The Sixth State Of Matter

Everyone has heard of "Fahrenheit 451", the classic novel where big government gets its agenda by increasingly taking away rights in order to mandate fairness.  This article has nothing to do…
Smolin Vs Susskind: Part 3 Ripping On Lenny

Smolin Vs Susskind: Part 3 Ripping On Lenny

This is PART III of the four part series about the Edge discussion between Lee Smolin and Leonard Susskind. After criticizing Smolin the last time in PART II, it is now time to turn on Susskind.…
Another Search For Fourth Generation Quarks

Another Search For Fourth Generation Quarks

Our present understanding of fundamental physics implies the existence of three generation of matter particles, which we consider structureless and "elementary", both in the sense that they cannot be…
Why There Is Something Instead Of Nothing

Why There Is Something Instead Of Nothing

Why is there anything? It is kind of conceivable that there could be no thing 'existing' at all – no world, no universes, no consciousness. However, there is at least something. The opposite of “…