Lab Rats - All Comments

re: Mills: God or Fraud?

Knowt — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:47:26 GMT

One problem with Dissemination of CQM is that it is difficult to read Mill's theory in the original This paper, arXiv:physics/0609190 , found on the Arxiv.org web site, is intended to be a very thorough comprehensive review of standard quantum mechanics, as applied to the second simplest atom: helium, and gives the alternative model of Helium from the CQM perspective. Amazingly, CQM predicts that the two electrons of helium in the ground state DO NOT have the same energy. Not even close. There is no data to the contrary....It is now accepted for publication in a main stream physics journal.

re: Mills: God or Fraud?

AndyO — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:22:34 GMT

Thanks for the information regarding Ecowatt. I was unaware of their system and will now keep an eye on it. The tone of all your comments has been thoughtful and measured - well done to all. As for my opinion, I hope that both Blacklight and Ecowatt are validated in the future for no other reason than I get the impression that physics has hit a brickwall regarding quantum mechanics and relativity. The implications for science of Blacklights claims should they be proven, are simply earth shattering and I dont mean simply for world energy requirements. Validation of these results will cause a fundamental review of all opposing theories which may lead to yet further discoveries of a more profound nature. Think Gravity and gravatron particles. Sorry to go into the realms of what would be proceived as Sci-fi. We may be standing at the dawn of a new era.

re: Mills: God or Fraud?

Tom Gianelle — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:56:12 GMT

My degree is in computer science and therefore I do not have any of the appropriate training to speak to the science. I can only concur with Mr. Koshy's comment, "In a world that we actually know little about, where 'mainstream' physicists have spend billions of dollars building bigger and more expensive colliders just to generate supplementary evidence (and not prove, remember) the holiest-of-the-holy-grail Standard Model of particle physics; and where financial whizzes dream (and implement) mathematical models to predict credit worthiness ; it's surely more important (and much less expensive) to have a dedicated, intergovernmental (or at least a national level) research project to investigate the claims of such experiments--especially if they have a bearing on our understanding of physical processes. Whatever we lose, it wont be more than what Lehman Brothers did.". It would seem it would be relatively easy to explain if this is a viable cheap non-polluting energy source or not. Let's find out and move on.

re: The Great Barrier Reef is declining

Seema Singh — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:27:55 GMT

Ben: This is typical climate change debate. However, even the experts not associated with this paper say this is the first “rigorous snapshot of how calcification might be changing”. Though the debate about the "causes" of calcification is far from settled. Some say it’s neither low pH nor reduced calcium carbonate concentration that has caused this but it could be the calcium bicarbonate. As for the corals spawning perfectly well, they might look healthy (externally) but some dramatic changes are happening beneath the surface, say others.

re: The Great Barrier Reef is declining

Ben — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 16:48:43 GMT

And ABC article three weeks ago stated that warmer water is good for corals growth. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/20/2424897.htm Conditions 'perfect' for coral spawning season Scientists say warm water and calm conditions have provided perfect conditions for the start of the coral spawning season along the Great Barrier Reef this week.

re: The Great Barrier Reef is declining

Seema Singh — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:48:53 GMT

Authors say due to the imbalance of sampling intensity over years and because they had to focus on time scales varying from a few years to centuries, the records were broken into two data sets. The 1900–2005 data set contained all 328 colonies, whereas the 1572–2001 data set focused only on long-term change and "contained 10 long cores from colonies that covered all or most of that period." The dependencies of calcification, extension, and density of annual growth bands on year, location (the relative distance of the reef across the shelf and along the GBR), and sea surface temperature were assessed with linear mixed-effects models.

re: The Great Barrier Reef is declining

Kenneth Green — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:48:07 GMT

How was 400 years of data obtained?

re: Sleep disorders: warning sign for dementia, Parkinson's

karttikeya manglam — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:44:35 GMT

Yes!I agree with the suggestion,even appreciate it.Being a lazy person myself,I too have a suggestion to make for ever busy media people like you:just undergo(or enjoy because most of the people now-a-days have health-cover and hence don't have to pay) a sleep deprivation test at any good sleep study lab and enjoy the comments and suggestion of the consulting Neurologist which would be full of 'Ifs' and'buts'and statements in probability.I bet,despite your background and nature of work you handle,you would not be able to make out anything. .

re: Cell phones for health monitoring?

karttikeya manglam — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:53:40 GMT

It is indeed interesting to read about the current advancements in mobile technology and fashionable to talk and extrapolate on the basis of that in social gatherings.May I reasonably wish that the day is not very far when we will have in built LISS(Linear imaging self scanning)cameras in our mobile phones?

re: Those unsexy baritones

Shoba Narayan — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:48:45 GMT

Jacob: I loved this piece. Please, for the sake of your loyal readers, forsake the newsy Nobel laureates and write more of the pure science pieces that you are so good at. Thanks.

re: Media, myths and biotech courses

Suvrat — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 03:37:17 GMT

Seema- I agree with you. I don't doubt that there are few articles by media occasionally sensationalizing a particular field, but Indian scientists have an extraordinarily poor track record of science outreach. They are largely invisible to the public. I've written about this on my blog too (under label science outreach) but our students and our public at large simply don't have an ongoing conversation with our scientists. They seem to get profiled only when something sensational happens, like launching of a satellite, or a nuclear test or the centenary of an institute. But a day to day conversation in the form of newspaper articles, radio talk shows, blogs, where the prerequisites, pitfalls, opportunities for various fields are discussed from different perspectives is just not happening.

re: Foreign sci-tech titles on Indian newsstands

Seema Singh — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:12:14 GMT

Bhisham: Re your view that science doesn't have a national colour, I couldn't agree more. (Almost half my stories at Mint are on scientific developments outside of India, simply because that's the story to tell). But as for the factual error in the above statement, I don't agree with you, unless you consider 'letter to the editor' as one, which I must say each issue has at least one! (I checked all issues from July to Dec)

re: Foreign sci-tech titles on Indian newsstands

bhisham — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:18:17 GMT

"I haven't seen a single story in the monthly, certainly not in the last six months. Forget about full-length stories, even a snippet on Indian scientific development hasn't found a place." i dont believe science has a national colour or hue! nevertheless, your above statement is factualy incorrect. have a good evening!

re: Foreign sci-tech titles on Indian newsstands

Seema — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:45:15 GMT

Kimberly, thank you for the update. I am surprised that the best stocked magazine shop in B'lore (one on Church Street) didn't have the Indian edition. In fact, the shop owner didn't even mention that there's one when I picked up (and then left) a copy of NS just yesterday:)

re: Foreign sci-tech titles on Indian newsstands

Kimberly Karman — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:13:16 GMT

Hello Seema, New Scientist launched its Indian edition with our November 15, 2008 issue. The issue cover price is RS75 and is available on newsstands in the following cities: Mumbai, New-Delhi, Kolkotta, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Lucknow. For more information on distribution and availability, please visit Reed Infomedia India at http://www.reedinfomedia.com/index.htm. Thank you!