The Learnin' Corner
Topological Matter in Optical Lattices
This month's Learnin' Corner is an explanation of topological matter in optical lattices by University of Pittsburgh associate professor of physics W. Vincent Liu.
The Great Curve
Just because you read H.P. Lovecraft doesn't mean you know shit about non-Euclidean geometry.
Algorithmic Randomness
Algorithmic randomness is generally accepted as the best, or at least the default, notion of randomness.
False Vacuum Decay
A false vacuum is a region of space that appears to be totally stable, but in actuality could (theoretically) collapse at any moment and turn the vacuum inhabitants (us) into clouds of nonstandard particles in the time it takes for you to finish this...
Pili Power
Apparently nature knows how to make organic conductors out of proteins, and we find that very surprising. That's why it's kind of a big discovery.
Baryogenesis Is Very Generous
We think that the universe started with a big fireball, aka the Big Bang. After that, there was a period of rapid expansion, or inflation, as the universe cooled. At the end of this inflation, it’s likely that there was just as much matter as...
Braid Theory
Topology is the branch of mathematics concerned with the spatial properties of objects that cannot be changed by twisting, deforming, or stretching.
Nanotextiles
Juan Hinestroza is an assistant professor of fiber science and directs the Textiles Nanotechnology Laboratory at the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University.
Dragging Frame
Dr. Neil Ashby is a professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder. His research emphasizes the practical applications of theoretical general relativity.
Detecting the Shadow Biosphere
Carol Cleland is a philosophy professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has written extensively on the nature of life in general and has authored numerous articles about the shadow biosphere for the International Journal of Astrobiology...
Spontaneous Human Combustion
Larry Arnold is the author of "Ablaze! The Mysterious Fires of Spontaneous Human Combustion<" and the world's foremost expert on exploding people.