Daily Archives: October 25, 2020

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 20, 2020) Sumit R. Das, the Jack and Linda Gill Professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Physics and Astronomy, is serving as the 2019-20 UK College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor and will deliver the annual Distinguished Professor Lecture next week.

The lecture, titled Deconstructing Space-Time, will be held 7-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, on Zoom.

Developments in theoretical physics over the past couple of decades have led to a set of ideas that "space" is not a fundamental notion, but arises as an emergent concept from more abstract entities. This view has led to remarkable progress in reconciling the laws of gravity with the principles of quantum mechanics and has shed valuable light on puzzles related to black holes. This talk will discuss the historical origins of some of these ideas and recent results that have enriched our understanding of the fundamental laws of nature.

Das received his bachelor's and master's degrees in physics from the University of Calcuttaand his doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1984. After postdoctoral positions at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratories and California Institute of Technology, he joined the faculty of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research inMumbai in 1987. In 2002 he moved to the University of Kentucky as a full professor. He served as the department chair from 2013 to 2017. Over the years he has held visiting professor positions in several institutions around the world.His research has meandered through several areas of theoretical physics: the theory of strong interactions, string theory, quantum aspects of black holes and aspects of nonequilibrium phenomena. He has published more than 140 research papers, several chapters in books and two encyclopedia articles. He is a recipient of the S.S. Bhatnagar Award and a fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences.

To register for the lecture, visit https://uky.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cqbe095LQg-WrP4kL6IPmA.

Since 1944, the College of Arts and Sciences has recognized the accomplishments of its faculty in the humanities, social sciences, and natural and mathematical sciences, with the Distinguished Professor Award. The award is the highest professional recognition offered by the college and is bestowed on the basis of three criteria: outstanding research, exceptionally effective teaching and distinguished professional service.

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Sumit Das to Deliver 2019-20 A&S Distinguished Professor Lecture on 'Deconstructing Space-Time' - UKNow

In China, I was fascinated by the use of electric scooters everywhere. Students were zipping past me at considerable speed, with tires making the only sound. At night, walking across campus could be a challenge. Like phantoms, people on dark scooters crossed my path unexpectedly, making me jump aside. They were reluctant to turn their lights on because it would use some of the battery power that they needed for travel.

And theres the problem. When you run low on gas, a 5-minute fill-up at a gas station will get you going again for a long time. Electric vehicles require a recharge, and depending on the kind of charger thats used, it can take hours. Batteries for electric cars are improving significantly, though. The latest lithium-ion types provide a range of more than 200 miles.

For those of us who are planning to build their own electric car, there are some choices. One could make do with a 100-mile range, using 14 standard lead-acid batteries. This comes with a substantial amount of weight, although it eliminates the need for a fuel system, exhaust pipes, and a transmission. A high-grade lithium-ion battery will double the range. Prices have been dropping continuously, currently at $156 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. This means that if you want the latest 68 kWh battery pack like the one used in the 2020 Nissan Leaf Plus, youll still pay $10,000 for that part alone. The engine-less 1971 VW Beetle body I have waiting to be converted into an electric car will probably be more modest. Classic Beetles have traditionally been near-impossible to heat and air-condition anyway, so theres no anticipation of electricity use by those two power-hungry consumers.

A new light on the horizon comes in the form of the quantum battery. This latest invention relies on quantum physics instead of chemical reactions like the current batteries. Essentially, the principle is based on the energy exchange between electrons and photons on the atomic scale. Quantum batteries dont lose power over time. Companies working on this innovation, including Tesla, Panasonic and Toyota, are tight-lipped about details and current status of the project. Dont expect to be able to buy a quantum battery at your local autoparts store soon. But it looks like a new, more powerful option for running electric vehicles may be coming.

Rudi Kiefer, Ph.D., is a professor at Brenau University, teaching physical and health sciences on Brenaus Georgia campuses and in China. His column appears Sundays and at gainesvilletimes.com.

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Column: A new era of electric vehicles could be on the way - Gainesville Times

First the good news. Exclusive News Channels in India, despite the good old DD, started about a quarter of a century ago, but actually came in vogue abut two decades ago. Most were backed by publication houses, some came later, again media people. The better news is that instead of complaints against government gags, tags not entirely honourable as pro establishment channels, or somewhat neutral, were the only adjectives that were entertained. For instance, a popular one by a journalist who could explain the demographics of Indian general electoral trends methodically, took his position. Regional channels are mostly tuned to a respective two- party system of the state, as is the paper media.

The present TRP war, came about to be, considering whether it is really that serious, due to a sudden formation of a new channel by an energetic, intelligent rebel of a journo, who got the right timing to prey upon sitting ducks of scams. It became a one man show with such vehemence, that no government or political spokes persons had enough knowledge or liberty or the solace from their party to reveal beyond a certain quantum.

I, as a neurologist am not an activist, but could see a new talent of delivery, oration, incisive phrases, picking up local but common mans jargon. Not without well worked hand movements now with a single hand the right being bandaged. Decent, too loud, too obsessed with ambition, say what you may. One has to accept that he knows the works-showmanship, choosing topics, aligning and re-aligning a broadcast at will.

With a pardon, that I may not know all rules and trespasses of journalism, one realizes how much behind the scene competition there is in Indian media. Acknowledging the mastery of presentable, pleasant and all covering concept for the publication house, that gave me the opportunity to enlist me as a Blog writer, the presentation on electronic media needs a new change.

Actually, some who went overboard, well versed and long -term entrepreneurs, could have just sat and watched. It was possibly a sudden loss of neve, missing the full thrust on a slower delivery, caught, without crossing the ropes. Probably this new renegade talent, forced too many bouncers and quietly gave a slower one. So, was it a ploy of the grand Republican, to incite a TRP overdoing under his well laid contraptions!

I am not invoking intra-media rivalry, just studying a sudden change of broadcasting. The impact in delivery is being modulated by other channels, that ran on didactic rules of the producer. There is a place of movie directors, script writers, dialogue fillers. Good for the Indian media. Indian channels shall be watched more by NRIs and the western audiences.

As for the content, I stay away from what is good, bad, ethical or otherwise. The news -burger should be well stuffed, veg or non-veg. That is what gives the TRP. In a quiet candle-light upscale restaurant, if the customers have changed to noisy Furtunner/Scorpia/Harrier owners, it may be a nice marketing idea to start serving sizzlers, with a concealed microphone and speaker on the tray, which the waiter can modulate as he takes a circuitous turn to destination table, imagine, how many shall start ordering that one with the noise Even if the stuff is mediocre, modest in value, you are paying for the sound for an eatable!

The TRP, or the target rating point, is a method of measuring the total viewership, that is the viewers and time duration of viewing. Generally done by placing a few thousand meters attached to regular TVs, randomly, but also by representing the users preferences of language, timing of maximum watching, and the viewership pull on ads. The final number is calculated by using the viewers as denominator, the numerator as the total impressions delivered to the target x 100.

As an example, if the viewers are 10, 000, and impressions, 1000 x 100, the TRP is 10. Thereafter begins the baking and frying as per rules! Not discrete to analyse further. By all types of maths including Quantum Physics. Consider that electromagnetic waves can be deviated by a magnetic field. You finally get a sore between 0-3-0! If sliding from a perennial 2. 3 to 2.2 is a calamitous as a rate cut on a assured bond, it might be an issue with mega- investors!

How correct is the TRP to actual viewership? Well this is the best and a universal method followed. The value is the rating of the channel, that impacts the minds towards more viewership, and attracting revenues through ads.

Talking of previous such self- designed programmes, was Rajat Sharmas, Aap ki Adalat. He softly invited every luminary, icon, politician, but not without a few awkward questions. Arun Shouries scam under CM A R Antulay, surely was on paper media but one of the most daring ones.

Tehelka initially a one- time event, where perhaps for the first time concealed electronic devices were used, and later converted into a weekly publication. Had the media and public been so charged then, it had the ingredients of a news channel!

The history of television news broadcasting somewhat begins with David Sarnoff, a young man who joined the most popular network NBC. Those were war days bur Sarnoff had envisioned that the coming of television would be the main thing. Catching up in competition was a smaller company CBS, that had more funds, and even borrowed NBC talent.

Technological hurdles were the availability of a co-axial cable that would run on land. Finally, the task was handed over to part government owned AT&T. Even before the end of the war, Sarnoff had announced, that US shall have its own TV broadcasting, rather than the anticipated Imperial stations.

Funds were always a problem. R J Reynolds, the makers of Camel came to help. They improvised their ow popular programme, Caravans on Camels Went well.

The heave came in the 1948 election convention. Philadelphia was chosen by political parties, as it had the maximum density of cable networks. One case where the presence of broadcast technology influenced political decision. TV sales were on the rise. Sure, there had to be new talent for visual presentations but some old radio voices were kept due their appeal to the audience. Broadcasting had to be tutored. Interest generated by sending teams to broadcast from the site of the incident began.

TRPs is just a symbol of the intense media, competition, as on-coming digitalization has been hurried by Covid.Next shall be cable TV, Computer domestic AI all combined. It is already there.

The wise shall allow, accommodate, modulate the electronic media. India has the worlds largest English -speaking audience. New more riveting methods are seen. The first launch of TV broadcasting by NBC was a political convention. Its the circumstance that gives the opening. Beyond that the road is long and not without struggle!

dil se to har mo.mla kar ke chale the saaf ham,kahne me un ke smne baat badal badal ga.Faiz

(I left clarifying all issues of the heart before the meeting,While clarifying, before her, somehow the issues kept changing)

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

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The TRP turf - The Times of India Blog

Any extraterrestrial organisms we find will be made of the same atoms we are, observes Harvards Center for Astrophysics, Avi Loeb, about the recent detection of a potential biosignature in the atmosphere of Venus, the nearest planet to Earth where NASA is currently considering sending a spacecraft.

Microbes may reside there in the Venusian cloud deck 35 miles above ground level, where the temperature and pressure are similar to what they are in the lower atmosphere of Earth, writes Loeb in Scientific American, in droplets at a density that is orders of magnitude smaller than in air on Earth; if so, they could have common ancestry to terrestrial life, given that asteroids occasionally graze the atmospheres of both planets, potentially transferring material from one to the other.

This week, though, three independent studies announced that they have failed to find evidence of phosphine in the Venusian atmosphere, casting doubt on whether the gas could be produced by alien microbes.

Venus The Solar Systems First Habitable Planet

Yet recent research by Yale astronomers suggests that our Moon may harbor clues that Venus described by Stephen Hawking as Earths kissing cousin may have had an Earth-like environment billions of years ago, with water and a thin atmosphere. Their findings follow research suggesting that our sister planet may have been the solar systems first habitable planet.

Clues to Alien Life Billions of Fragments of Venus May Exist on the Moon

Darwins Dice

The possibility of current or past life on Venus raises a hotly debated question of how closely extraterrestrial life would evolve to resemble that on Earth, with some scientists, such as Harvards evolutionary theorist, Stephen Jay Gould, who argued that with a slightly different roll of the Darwinian dice, earth would have been inhabited by creatures unimaginable, while others such as Charles S. Cockell, an astrobiologist at the University of Edinburgh and Director of the UK Center for Astrobiology, conjecture that if there is biology elsewhere in the universe we would find it strikingly familiar down to the carbon-based machinery in its cells. All life is simply living matter, material capable of reproducing and evolving.

Alien Evolution Advanced Life Will Mirror Homo Sapiens

Physics of Life

In his book, The Equations of Life: How Physics Shapes Evolution, Cockell conjectures that the cosmos if populated, would harbor creatures more like like those lined up at Mos Eisleys dimly-lit cantina on the Star Wars planet Tatooine. No matter how different the conditions on distant worlds, suggests Cockell, all life being living matter material capable of reproducing and evolvingis presumably subject to the same laws of physics from quantum mechanics to thermodynamics and the laws of gravity.

Early Earth was covered with carbonaceous material from meteorites and comets that provided the raw materials from which first life emerged. In his book, The Eerie Silence, astrophysicist Paul Davies echoes Harvards Gould suggesting that the original cells would have been able to pick and choose from the early Earths organic cocktail. To the best of our knowledge, he writes, the twenty-one chosen by known life do not constitute a unique set; other choices could have been made, and maybe were made if life started elsewhere many times.

Physics of Alien Life

Biologys Great Mystery

Cockell writes George Johnson for the New York Times, lucidly addresses biologys great mystery: If we grant that life is an interplay of chance and necessity, in the words of the French biochemist Jacques Monod, then which has the upper hand? In a nod to Monod, Cockel argues that even at this deep level, the possibilities of life were tightly circumscribed. Rerun the tape of evolution, and DNA, RNA, ATP, the Krebs cycle the rigmarole of Biology 101 would probably arise again, here or in distant worlds. Single cells would then join together, seeking the advantages of metazoan life, until before you know it something like the earthly menagerie would come to be.

The Daily Galaxy, Jake Burba, via Scientific American and New York Times Science

Image credit: Shutterstock License

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Beyond Homo Sapiens A Slightly Different Roll of the Darwinian Dice (Weekend Feature) - The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel