the conversation
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New Ideas From Quantum Theory Could Herald a Revolution
Lasers were created 60 years ago this year, when three different laser devices were unveiled by independent laboratories in the United States. A few years later, one of these inventors called the unusual light sources “a solution seeking a problem”. Today, the laser has been applied to countless problems in science, medicine and everyday technologies,…
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The Spooky and Dangerous Side of Black Liquorice
Black liquorice may look and taste like an innocent treat, but this candy has a dark side. On September 23, 2020, it was reported that black liquorice was the culprit in the death of a 54-year-old man in Massachusetts. How could this be? Overdosing on liquorice sounds more like a twisted tale than a plausible…
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Our Minds May Be Wandering More During The Pandemic, And That’s A Good Thing
Many feel the coronavirus pandemic has changed not just our everyday lives, but also our inner mental lives. There has been talk of a mental health pandemic, but also of lockdown brain fog when we are awake, as well as reports of more frequent, vivid, and bizarre dreams when we are asleep. We tend to…
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A 4G Network on the Moon is Bad News for Radio Astronomy
As you drive down the road leading to Jodrell Bank Observatory, a sign asks visitors to turn off their mobile phones, stating that the Lovell telescope is so powerful it could detect a phone signal on Mars. Radio telescopes are designed to be incredibly sensitive. To quote the legendary astronomer Carl Sagan, “The total amount…