Monthly Archives: September 2022

Scientists used lasers to make the coldest matter in the universe – Popular Science

Posted: September 11, 2022 at 1:51 pm

In a laboratory in Kyoto, Japan, researchers are working on some very cool experiments. A team of scientists from Kyoto University and Rice University in Houston, Texas has cooled matter to within a billionth of a degree of absolute zero (the temperature when all motion stops), making it the coldest matter in the entire universe. The study was published in the September issue of Nature Physics, and opens a portal to an unexplored realm of quantum magnetism, according to Rice University.

Unless an alien civilization is doing experiments like these right now, anytime this experiment is running at Kyoto University it is making the coldest fermions in the universe, said Rice University professor Kaden Hazzard, corresponding theory author of the study, and member of the Rice Quantum Initiative, in a press release. Fermions are not rare particles. They include things like electrons and are one of two types of particles that all matter is made of.

The Kyoto team led by study author Yoshiro Takahashi used lasers to cool the fermions (or particles like protons, neutrons, and electrons whose spin quantum number is an odd half integer like 1/2 or 3/2) of ytterbium atoms to within about one-billionth of a degree of absolute zero. Thats roughly 3 billion times colder than interstellar space. This area of space is still warmed by the cosmic microwave background (CMB), or the afterglow of radiation from the Big Bang about 13.7 billion years ago. The coldest known region of space is the Boomerang Nebula, which has a temperature of one degree above absolute zero and is 3,000 light-years from Earth.

[Related: How the most distant object ever made by humans is spending its dying days.]

Just like electrons and photons, atoms are are subject to the laws of quantum dynamics, but their quantum behaviors only become noticeable when they are cooled to within a fraction of a degree of absolute zero. Lasers have been used for more than 25 years to cool atoms to study the quantum properties of ultracold atoms.

The payoff of getting this cold is that the physics really changes, Hazzard said. The physics starts to become more quantum mechanical, and it lets you see new phenomena.

In this experiment, lasers were used to to cool the matter by stopping the movements of 300,000 ytterbium atoms within an optical lattice. It simulates the Hubbard model, a quantum physics first proposed by theoretical physicist John Hubbard in 1963. Physicists use Hubbard models to investigate the magnetic and superconducting behavior of materials, especially those where interactions between electrons produce collective behavior,

This model allows for atoms to show off their unusual quantum properties, which include the collective behavior between electrons (a bit like a group of fans performing the wave at a football or soccer game) and superconduction, or an objects ability to conduct electricity without losing energy.

The thermometer they use in Kyoto is one of the important things provided by our theory, said Hazzard. Comparing their measurements to our calculations, we can determine the temperature. The record-setting temperature is achieved thanks to fun new physics that has to do with the very high symmetry of the system.

[Related: Chicago now has a 124-mile quantum network. This is what its for.]

The Hubbard model simulated in Kyoto has special symmetry known as SU(N). The SU stands for special unitary group, which is a mathematical way of describing the symmetry. The N denotes the possible spin states of particles within the model.

The greater the value of N, the greater the models symmetry and the complexity of magnetic behaviors it describes. Ytterbium atoms have six possible spin states, and the simulator in Kyoto is the first to reveal magnetic correlations in an SU(6) Hubbard model. These types of calculations are impossible to calculate on a computer, according to the study.

Thats the real reason to do this experiment, Hazzard said. Because were dying to know the physics of this SU(N) Hubbard model.

Graduate student in Hazzards research group and study co-author Eduardo Ibarra-Garca-Padilla added that the Hubbard model aims to capture the very basic ingredients needed for what makes a solid material a metal, insulator, magnet, or superconductor. One of the fascinating questions that experiments can explore is the role of symmetry, said Ibarra-Garca-Padilla. To have the capability to engineer it in a laboratory is extraordinary. If we can understand this, it may guide us to making real materials with new, desired properties.

The team is currently working on developing the first tools capable of measuring the behavior that arises a billionth of a degree above absolute zero.

These systems are pretty exotic and special, but the hope is that by studying and understanding them, we can identify the key ingredients that need to be there in real materials, conculed Hazzard.

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Everything to know about the new ‘Quantum Leap’: Where to watch? What’s the story? Who returns? – Syfy

Posted: at 1:51 pm

If you're a fan of ambitious new TV shows based on genre classics you know and love, then the fading days of summer are turning out to be an especially sweet time to tune in. HBO is rekindling that Game of Thrones smolder with House of the Dragon, Amazon is tapping J.R.R. Tolkien with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and even as we speak, NBC is putting the final touches on an all-new Imaging Chamber for the hugely hyped series launch of the freshly-revived Quantum Leap.

By the time Quantum Leap skips back to the airwaves with its Sept. 19 debut, all the above-mentioned awesomeness will have arrived in the span of just a single month which is pretty mind-boggling, when you think about it. But before the excitement fades our brain, its probably a good idea to take a deep breath and break down just what we really do know about NBCs new adventures in time travel.

This ones easy: NBC describes the new Quantum Leap as a sequel series thats set 30 years after the original show. Expect a mix of new storylines, as well as a tug or two at threads that the original left dangling: Fans of the original Quantum Leap are in for a few surprises, including the return of some original characters and the continuation of the most popular plot points, the network teases.

If youre a fan of the original series, feel free to skip ahead: This section covers the basics of the old-school Quantum Leap you know, the big-picture stuff about the shows premise and setting that should still apply in its new 2022 incarnation.

Both the original Quantum Leap and NBCs new series are sci-fi shows set in their respective present-day, real-world trappings. Theyre based on the idea that technologys just a little farther ahead than we think it isespecially if youve got the governments super-secret science resources at your disposal.

In both series, the key hero is an accomplished physicist who leaps through spacetime into different eras from humanitys past, courtesy of Project Quantum Leap an insanely sophisticated (and expensive) R&D program tucked away in a remote, hush-hush lab. Scott Bakula played the now-iconic role of Dr. Sam Beckett in the original series as the hero who gets himself stuck in an unending sequence of time leaps. In the new show, the stranded-hero honors fall to new star Raymond Lee in the role of physicist Dr. Ben Song.

Time travel isnt the only big twist, though: For one thing, the leaper in each series, wellthey sort of, kind of go rogue to make their initial jump in the first place. Thats a polite way of saying that the government in no way, shape, or form gave them permission to take its fancy particle machine for a free spin, and losing a star scientist to the invisible ether of spacetime leaves the projects suit-wearing overseers with plenty of stern questions (and probably a touch of high blood pressure).

For another thing, theres no way to control (or even predict) where in humanitys past Project Quantum Leap will spit our hero out, as original series scientist Dr. Sam Beckett learned the hard way in the shows very first 1989 episode. If thats not enough, our hero doesnt even get to inhabit their own flesh and blood once theyve made the jump: Instead, they emerge in the body of a completely different person native to the particular time and place where their latest leap has taken them.

Most importantly, theres no known escape at least, not one that Project Quantum Leap has the advanced technology to devise. Taking that first-episode time dive sets off an endless cycle of leap after leap, with the only real reprieve coming not by going home to the present but to another place (and another body) where the entire process resets while our hero waitsyou guessed it, for the next leap.

In order to even do that, theyve got to identify and solve some kind of pivotal problem unique to their temporary human host one that typically changes the course of that persons life for the better. When that key quandary has finally been fixed, the mysteries of physics kick in and its off to another new time and another new host.

Thankfully, Quantum Leap offers its stranded, time-drifting scientist one emotional lifeline that preserves their ties to the home they know and love. Thanks to a sweet piece of lab tech known as the Imaging Chamber, a human back in our own time is able to see and talk to the leaper via holographic image. In the original series, that honor went to Sam Becketts friend Al Calavicci(the late Dean Stockwell), a colorful character whom only Sam could see and hear (a twist that served up endless opportunities for cool plot twists and tons of comic relief). NBCs new Quantum Leap similarly features a new holographic companion characterbut well get to that in a moment.

Though the cast and characters are new, the upcoming Quantum Leap bears a lot of the same creative DNA that made the original such a 1990s sci-fi favorite. Original show creator Donald P. Bellisario is on board as an executive producer alongside Quantum Leap veteran Deborah Pratt, both of whom were producers on the earlier series (Pratt also voiced the old-school supercomputer Ziggy.)

Heres a quick look at the shows main characters, as well as the actors wholl be playing them:

Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben SongRaymond Lee (Kevin Can F**k Himself) takes center stage as the new series time-leaping scientist Dr. Ben Song, a highly-intelligent quantum physicist who jumps through time to explore the mysteries of the original Quantum Leap experiment, via NBC. While Ben will have the help of the Quantum Leap team, it is up to Ben to finally put things in order after the chaotic events of the original experiment.

Ernie Hudson as Herbert Magic Williams Those poking, prodding government types we mentioned earlier? Theyll be represented in the person of Herbert Magic Williams, played in the new show by Ghostbusters alum Ernie Hudson. Every science fiction story needs an authoritarian figurehead, explains NBC, describing Magic as the leader of the Quantum Leap project, torn between the responsibility of answering to his bosses in the Pentagon or taking care of the Quantum Leap team. Old school fans might also remember the character from one of Sam's leaps during the original series.

Nanrisa Lee as Jenn Chou Working closely alongside Magic will be Jenn Choi (Bosch and Star Trek: Picard alum Nanrisa Lee). Jenn is the head of digital security for the Quantum Leap project, and shes focused on discovering why Ben decided to leap in the first place, according to the networkall in the hope of eventually bringing Ben home.

Mason Alexander Park as Ian Wright As Ian Wright, Mason Alexander Park (The Sandman, Cowboy Bebop) isnt just your typical research project egghead, but the computer whiz responsible for bringing Ziggy out of the 20th Century and into the present day. The projects lead programmer, Ian rebuilds the originals shows Pratt-voiced AI, a bot that provides crucial information about Ben's leaps through time, NBC teases.

Caitlin Bassett as Addison Augustine Last but definitely not least is the character wholl serve as Dr. Songs holographic pal the same position held by Al (Dean Stockwell) in the original series. Addison Augustine (TV newcomer Caitlin Bassett) is an ex-Army intelligence officer who has an important role in the Quantum Leap project, NBC explains, showing up amid Bens travels as a hologram that only he can can see. Like Al before her, Addison will dish up valuable insight into the past that Ben uses as a guide throughout his adventures.

Rounding out the rest of the creative team, the new series is written and executive produced by Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, with Bellisario, Pratt, and Martin Gero (Stargate Atlantis, Blindspot) teaming up with Dean Georgaris (Life of Pi, The Meg) as executive producers. Gero will also reportedly serve as showrunner, via Deadline.

The short answer? No, but it always helps! This article outlines the shows premise in strokes broad enough to get any viewer started, though the new Quantum Leap, like its predecessor, will have you oriented in no time even if the dog happened to eat your TV-history homework. But if you really want to go into the new show fully prepared, hit up Peacock, where all five seasons of the original series are streaming round the clock. Pressed for time? Its okay to cheat! Heres our handy crash-course lineup of the five most essential Quantum Leap episodes.

NBC is the place to be to catch all new Quantum Leap episodes as they air. The series premiere is set for 10 p.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 19 (immediately following The Voice), with new episodes arriving weekly through the fall season. If you miss one, theres no need to get your feathers in a ruffle: Peacock has your back with day-after streaming on demand for every episode.

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Hymn to HERMES CERN Courier – CERN Courier

Posted: at 1:51 pm

The HERMES experiment A Personal Story, by Richard Milner and Erhard Steffens, World Scientific

One hundred years ago, Otto Stern and Walther Gerlach performed their ground-breaking experiment shooting silver atoms through an inhomogeneous magnetic field, separating them according to their spatially quantised angular momentum. It was a clear victory of quantum theory over the still widely used classical picture of the atom. The results also paved the way to the introduction of the concept of spin, an intrinsic angular momentum, as an inherent property of subatomic particles.

The idea of spin was met with plenty of scepticism. Abraham Pais noted in his book George Uhlenbeck and the Discovery of Electron Spin that Ralph Kronig finishing his PhD at Columbia University in 1925 and travelling through Europe, introduced the idea to Heisenberg and Pauli, who dryly commented that it is indeed very clever but of course has nothing to do with reality. Feeling ridiculed, Kronig dropped the idea. A few months later, still against strong resistance by established experts but this time with sufficient backing by their mentor Paul Ehrenfest, Leiden graduate-students George Uhlenbeck and Samuel Goudsmit published their seminal Nature paper on the spinning electron. In the future I shall trust my own judgement more and that of others less, wrote Kronig in a letter to Hendrik Kramers in March 1926.

Spin quickly became a cornerstone of 20th-century physics. Related works of paramount importance were Paulis exclusion principle and Diracs description of relativistic spin-1/2 particles, as well as the spin-statistics theorems (namely the FermiDirac and BoseEinstein distributions for identical half-integerspin and integerspin particles, respectively). But more than half a century after its introduction, spin re-emerged as a puzzle. By then, a rather robust theoretical framework, the Standard Model, had been established within which many precision calculations became a comfortable standard. It could have been all that simple: since the proton consists of two valence-up and one valence-down quarks, with spin up and down (i.e. parallel and antiparallel to the protons spin, respectively), the origin of its spin is easily explained. The problem dubbed spin crisis arose in the late 1980s, when the European Muon Collaboration at CERN found that the contribution of quarks to the proton spin was consistent with zero, within the then still-large uncertainties, and that the so-called EllisJaffe sum rule ultimately not fundamental but model-dependent was badly violated. What had been missed?

Today, after decades of intense experimental and theoretical work, our picture of the proton and its spin emerging from high-energy interactions has changed substantially. The role of gluons both in unpolarised and polarised protons is non-trivial. More importantly, transverse degrees of freedom, both in position and momentum space, and the corresponding role of orbital angular momentum, have become essential ingredients in the modern description of the proton structure. This description goes beyond the picture of collinearly moving partons encapsulated by the fraction of the parent protons momentum and the scale at which they are probed; numerous effects, unexplainable in the simple picture, have now become theoretically accessible.

The HERMES experiment at DESY, which operated between 1995 and 2007, has been a pioneer in unravelling the mysteries of the proton spin, and the experiment is the protagonist in a new book by Richard Milner and Erhard Steffens, two veterans in this field as well as the driving forces behind HERMES. The subtitle and preface clarify that this is a personal account and recollection of the history of HERMES, from an emergent idea on both sides of the Atlantic to a nascent collaboration and experiment, and finally as an extremely successful addition to the physics programme of HERA (the worlds only leptonproton collider, which started running at DESY 30 years ago for one and a half decades).

Milner and Steffens are both experts on polarised gas targets, with complementary backgrounds leading to rather different perspectives. Indeed, HERMES was independently developed within a North American initiative, in which Milner was the driving force, and a European initiative around the Heidelberg MPI-K led by Klaus Rith, with Erhard Steffens as a long-time senior group member. In 1988 two independent letters of intent submitted to DESY triggered sufficient interest in the idea of a fixed-target experiment with a polarised gas target internal to the HERA lepton ring; the proponents were subsequently urged to collaborate in submitting a common proposal. In the meantime, HERMES feasibility needed to be demonstrated. A sufficiently high lepton-polarisation had to be established, as well as smooth running of a polarised gas target in the harsh HERA environment without disturbing the machine and the main HERA experiments H1 and Zeus.

By summer 1993, HERMES was fully approved, and in 1995 the data taking started with polarised 3He. The subsequently used target of polarised hydrogen or deuterium employed the same concepts that Stern and Gerlach had already used in their famous experiment. The next decade saw several upgrades and additions to the physics programme, and data taking continued until summer 2007. In all those years, the backbone of HERMES was an intense and polarised lepton beam that traversed a target of pure gas in a storage cell, highly polarised or unpolarised, avoiding extensive and in parts model-dependent corrections. This constellation was combined with a detector that, from the very beginning, was designed to not only detect the scattered leptons but also the spray produced in coincidence. These features allowed a diverse set of processes to be studied, leading to numerous pioneering measurements and insights that motivated, and continue to motivate, new experimental programmes around the world, including some at CERN.

Richard Milner and Erhard Steffens provide extensive insights, in particular into the historic aspects of HERMES, which are difficult to obtain elsewhere. The book gives an insightful discussion of the installation of the experiment and of the outstanding efforts of a group of highly motivated and dedicated individuals who worked too often in complete ignorance of (or in defiance of) standard working hours. Their account enthrals the reader with vivid anecdotes, surprising twists and personal stories, all told in a colloquial style. While clearly not meant as a textbook indeed, one might notice small mistakes and inconsistencies in a few places this book makes for worthwhile and enjoyable reading, not only for people familiar with the subject but equally for outsiders. In particular, younger generations of physicists working in large-scale collaborations might be surprised to learn that it needs only a small group and little time to start an experiment that goes on to have a tremendous impact on our understanding of natures basic constituents.

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Everything (well, many things) you wanted to know about Tuesday’s party primary election – Concord Monitor

Posted: at 1:49 pm

Published: 9/11/2022 10:04:13 AM

Modified: 9/11/2022 10:00:17 AM

The primary election will be held Tuesday, Sept. 13. Times vary among polling places. You can find where and when polls are open in your town as well as see a sample ballot by checking the Secretary of State website (sos.nh.gov/elections/voters).

Because 2020 had a decennial census, boundaries of districts have changed, so you may not be voting for the same office that you did two years ago. Note that boundaries of the 10 wards in Concord changed a bit so theres a chance city residents wont be going to the same polling place as they did the previous election. Check the website to find out. The boundaries of Franklins 3 wards did not change.

Q. Judging from all the campaign signs, theres an election coming up but I havent been paying attention. Whats it all about?

This is the party primary. It chooses which people will be the Republican and Democratic candidates on the ballot in the general election in November.

They are the only two parties on the state ballot, by the way. The Libertarian Party was on it for a couple of elections but it fizzled out and many of its candidates moved to the GOP.

Q. Sounds like fun. Can I vote in it?

Any U.S. citizen living in New Hampshire who is at least 18 years old can vote. That includes people attending college in the state as long as this is your legal domicile. Its a little complicated; check details at the Secretary of State website (sos.nh.gov/elections/information/faqs/voter-registration-and-motor-vehicle-law).

You dont even need to have a permanent residence; the homeless are allowed to vote.

If youre a registered Republican or Democrat you have to vote in that partys primary. If youre an independent, like roughly 40% of New Hampshire voters, you can vote in either party primary only one, however; you cant vote in both and then re-register as an independent before leaving the polling place.

You can register as a voter at your polling place on the day of the election but bring the correct paperwork. That includes a legal ID such as a drivers license, proof of citizenship such as passport, naturalization papers or birth certificate, and evidence of living in the state such as a utility bill with your address on it or a rental agreement.

If you dont have access to the paperwork you can fill out an affidavit that affirms your status. Next year that will force you to vote on a so-called affidavit ballot but this controversial new law is not in effect in 2022.

You can vote also by absentee ballot if you have a legitimate reason not to be at the polls on Tuesday, such as being out of town or having a disability. The Legislature decided, however, that concern about COVID-19 exposure is no longer a legitimate reason.

Dont dawdle, however. Your ballot needs to physically be in the hands of your local town or city clerk by 5 p.m. on Election Day. New Hampshire no longer counts ballots postmarked on Election Day if the post office delivers them after the 5 p.m. deadline.

Q. This is just a party primary, though. Does it matter?

You bet it does.

Party primaries are at least as important as general elections because they shape the direction that the two political parties want to take. For people who vote straight party tickets in the general election, the primary is really the only time they can make a choice.

Thats especially true for New Hampshire Republicans this year, who have a number of wide-open races for seats high up on the ballot such as U.S. Senate and Representative. Democrats have more choices down lower on the ballot, where more GOP incumbents hold sway.

Many argue that party primaries are a big reason for the divisiveness that has infected American politics.

The number of people who vote in party primaries is relatively low turnout well below 20% is common in New Hampshire which gives more weight to people whose desire to push their comparatively extreme opinions means they never miss an election. This means that moderate candidates have a harder time getting on the ballot in November.

That is one argument for ranked-choice voting, a system used in Maine and Alaska. Ranked choice and other similar systems count a secondary vote when nobody wins a majority, forcing candidates to appeal to a wider range of people even in party primaries.

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From Top Gun to dying goose, movie theaters big summer comeback is still a work in progress – Fortune

Posted: at 1:48 pm

Is the movie industry as dead as Goose, the hotshot fighter pilot who lost his life in the first Top Gun film, who haunted Tom Cruises Maverick all those years later in this summers smash-hit sequel? Industry analysts say not just yet, but maybe put that big comeback talk on ice a little bitat least for now.

Top Gun: Maverick was a standout success at the box office in a summer full of big winners, but new data shows movie theaters are still struggling to fully recover from the pandemic amid increasing competition from streaming services and a limited release schedule.

While Tom Cruises blockbuster has grossed over $1.4 billion globally since its May 27 release dateand hits like Jurassic World: Dominion and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness both managed to earn over $900 million this summerthe theater business as a whole still faces issues.

Altogether, domestic box office sales this summer were down 21% from the pre-pandemic summer of 2019, according to the media measurement and analytics firm Comscore.

Hollywood managed to rake in just $3.4 billion in North American theaters over the summer. Thats the lowest total since 2001, and 19% below the average summer box office sales between 2005 and 2019.

The poor figures arent welcome news for theater operators, who struggled last year to cope with the more than 60% decline in domestic box office sales from pre-pandemic levels.

Domestic ticket sales totaled just $4.5 billion for all of 2021, compared to $11.4 billion in 2019, according to data from the ticket sales tracker Box Office Mojo.

Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, told Fortune that the recovery in the movie industry from pandemic shutdowns has been hampered not by audiences willingness to go out, but by a sheer lack of movie releases.

Its been a real long road back to recovery, if you will, since March of 2020. And were still a work in progress, he said.

Movie studios only gave a wide releasedefined as films shown on 2,000 theaters or moreto 22 movies domestically this summer, versus 42 in 2019, Comscores data shows. With a roster that thin, a mere 21% decline in sales is actually pretty impressive.

The new data confirms warnings from Regal Cinemas parent company, Cineworld, in August. The London-based entertainment conglomerate said that recent admissions at its theaters were below expectations due to a limited film slate that is set to continue through November.

Cineworld was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week in order to help it cope with the falling sales and a sizeable $4.8 billion net debt load (excluding lease liabilities) that it built up during the pandemic.

The firms main competitor, the meme stock favorite AMC Entertainment Holdings, has managed to avoid bankruptcy, but it has also posted consistent losses during this challenging period for the industry.

Through the first six months of 2022, AMC pulled in over $1.9 billion in revenue, but its net loss totaled $459 million over the same period, SEC filings show.

AMC offered its loyal fan base preferred stock, which it calls APE shares, in order to bolster its balance sheet last month. But since their release, the APE shares are down roughly 10%.

CEO Adam Aron admitted this week that retail investors saved the company by buying its stockand the sinking APE sharessince the pandemic.

Cineworld/Regal just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for its theaters in the U.S.and U.K. Fortunately, AMC is in a very, very different situationbecause retail investors embraced us and let us raise boatloads of cash. Thank you to retail! You really did save AMC, he wrote in a Wednesday Twitter post.

The good news for AMC shareholders, according to Comscores Dergarabedian, is that movie theaters are poised for a further recovery. Despite the rise of streaming services, there is still strong demand from audiences for theatrical releases, he said.

To his point, domestic summer box office sales actually doubled from 2021 this year, even though they remained well under the industry average.

So even though everyones focusing on the fact that this was a low-grossing summer compared to pre-pandemic times, I would say this was the best possible scenario for a summer comeback in 2022, he said.

Dergarabedian went on to explain that if studios can get back to a more orderly release schedule, the industry should be able to thrive in the coming years. However, he noted that all the disruptions to production schedules and release dates will take time to iron out.

I think the best news for the industry is that despite a slowdown right now, 2023 looks really strong in terms of the lineup of movies, and if you build it, they will come. I know its a clich, but we saw that this summer for sure, he added.

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Texas lost to Alabama again, but this time it feels like progress – FOX Sports

Posted: at 1:48 pm

By Laken LitmanFOX Sports College Football Writer

AUSTIN, Texas The thing about Saturdays game was that Texas knew adversity was going to hit at some point. The Longhorns just didnt know how eerily familiar it would be.

The last time Texas and Alabama faced each other in the 2010 national championship the Longhorns lost starting quarterback Colt McCoy in the first quarter, lost the game, and the program lost its way for the next 12 years.

In Saturdays meeting between unranked Texas and No. 1 Alabama, something strangely similar occurred. The Longhorns lost starting quarterback Quinn Ewers to injury in the first quarter and lost the game, 20-19.

But this time, things feel different. The Longhorns were looking for a measuring stick and validation for head coach Steve Sarkisians master plan. The way this team handled adversity, the atmosphere and the pressure in big moments means there might finally be something to be optimistic about in Austin.

"In a weird way, we feel pretty good about ourselves," Sarkisian said. "I don't think were that far off. And as I told the team, I don't look at this as we lost. We ran out of time.

"Now the key to the drill is to get back on the horse tomorrow and get right back to work."

Highlights: Alabama edges Texas

Check out the highlights from Alabama's thrilling 20-19 victory over the Texas Longhorns.

Coming in, this game was not short on storylines. There was Sarkisian facing his former boss and mentor Nick Saban; the 2010 title game rematch; Saban once being offered the head coaching job at Texas; Sarkisian knowing both QBs extremely well.

The atmosphere was electric well before kickoff. A record 105,231 fans mostly dressed in burnt orange piled into Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and stayed loud throughout the game. Students had started lining up outside the stadium at 4 a.m. just so they could get a good seat. One said he got there that early just so he could hopefully sit in the front row and storm the field if Texas shocked the world.

Well, thats exactly what happened. Texas shocked the world. The Longhorns just didnt win.

Alabama was a 20-point favorite on the road and few expected Texas to stay in the game.

"Nobody gave us a chance, OK?" Sarkisian said. "But we believed in our locker room that we could go win this game, and we played like a team that believed they could win this game. And we played like a team that thought they were going to win this game

"I think the way our team looks at this is, Man, if that was the best team in the country and we took them down to the wire, that should instill a lot of confidence in us we can play with anybody."

The Longhorns started strong and stayed in it, even if they only scored one touchdown all game Bijan Robinson on an easy 1-yard rush to start the second quarter, capping a six-play, 75-yard drive. Ewers looked comfortable and confident early, effortlessly leading the Horns downfield. He found Jordan Whittington for 17 yards with two Alabama linemen in his face, then Xavier Worthy for 46 yards on the next play.

Then, with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter, linebacker Dallas Turner drove Ewers into the ground. The quarterback was slow to get up and went straight to the locker room, favoring his left shoulder. He returned to the sideline in the second half wearing street clothes. Sarkisian confirmed after the game that Ewers has a sprained clavicle and will get an MRI to find out the severity.

While this may have felt like deja vu for Texas fans, it wasnt for a team barely old enough to remember the title game 12 years ago.

"Were not a finished product by any means," Sarkisian said. "Were a young team right now and sometimes, thats good. We dont have the battle scars that can affect your performance moving forward.

"I think were on the come-up. Were moving in the right direction of the roster, style of play and mentality to go out and play against quality opponents week in and week out."

Rather than succumb to mighty Alabama with Ewers out, backup quarterback Hudson Card pulled off a more than respectable performance, going 14-for-22 for 158 yards with no interceptions. And this was behind an inexperienced starting offensive line that includes two freshmen, two sophomores and one senior.

"Hudson was ready to go," Robinson said. "We went to the sideline and prayed together to get his confidence up, and he was fine. I told him, Youve been practicing for this moment. Now its your turn to step up and be the guy. And he was like, Bro, Im ready to go."

Texas defense was the surprise story with an impressive game plan from coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski. The unit played tough, pressuring reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young (27-for-39 for 213 yards and one TD) and making him uncomfortable for three quarters. A Texas sack late in the third quarter initially looked like a safety, but after a controversial and wildly confusing review, officials ruled targeting, then roughing the passer, then ultimately, an incomplete pass. It saved Alabama from a potentially massive momentum swing.

"That could have changed the complexion of the game," Sarkisian said. "But thats football."

WILD sequence: Safety? Penalty? None of the above!

Weve become so accustomed to Alabama scoring at will over the last decade, but at one point, the Tide had four consecutive three-and-outs. They punted on six drives. Alabama also committed 15 penalties, the most in the Saban era.

"I think the energy in the stadium created some uncharacteristic errors on both sides, but Id like to think we had a little part to do with that," Sarkisian said.

Texas fans have held on tight to the notion that if McCoy hadnt gotten hurt in 2010, the Longhorns would have won the national championship. There will likely be some of that after this regular-season game. Worthy bobbled a would-be touchdown in the first quarter and had another close score but caught the ball out of bounds, and DShawn Jamison nearly intercepted Young in the second quarter. Texas had enough chances but fell slightly short of capitalizing.

Leading 17-16 late in the fourth, Alabama went for it on fourth-and-1 but Texas made a stop, leaving Card 3:55 on the clock. After getting sacked by Will Anderson Jr. on third down, the Horns kicker Bert Auburn kicked a 49-yard field goal to take a 19-17 lead with 1:29 remaining.

Unfortunately for Texas, that was too much time to give Young, who had what Sarkisian described as a "Houdini act" to get out of a sack from Ryan Watts and put Alabama in field goal range. Alabamas 33-yard field goal ended the game.

For Texas, it was a loss to Alabama, just like 2010. But this time, the Longhorns feel like it was a moral victory or at least a sign of big things to come.

Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.

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Liz Truss can learn from the progress of second Elizabethan age, not its failures – The Guardian

Posted: at 1:48 pm

When Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne, Britain was financially exhausted, rationing still in place and inflation high after the second world war. Then as is now, after her death on Thursday concerns over living costs were at the forefront.

Over the course of the second Elizabethan age, the country has grown more prosperous, healthier and socially liberal. Real gross domestic product per person is almost four times larger than at her accession in February 1952, having been kickstarted in the first two decades of her reign by a golden age of economic growth.

This unprecedented period of rising living standards, however, has not always been smooth and wasnt always equal. For billions around the world there were costs from the way Britain withdrew from empire, alongside profound changes at home, in 70 years of change up to our current economic rough patch.

In her seven decades on the throne the Queen saw five recessions and 15 prime ministers, with the toughest spell for the economy coming in her final years with the 2008 financial crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic and the energy shock amid Russias war in Ukraine.

After the white heat of technological revolution heralded by Harold Wilson in the 1960s, growth fizzled out with the oil price shock, strikes and inflation of the 1970s. Inequality soared in the 1980s as central banks stamped out inflation with sky-high interest rates, while whole communities were hollowed out by the dismantling of industry.

Early in the Queens reign the economy was geared far more to heavy industry, with national champions, publicly owned industries, and a welfare state in its nascent years. It was a coal-based economy still, reflected in the Great Smog of London in December 1952 only months into her reign.

Industrial employment including construction, manufacturing and utilities was above 40% when her father, George VI, died, yet fell to as little as 15% by the time of her sapphire jubilee in 2017. Britain shipped in more goods from overseas and made less at home as globalisation advanced, and as the service sector grew thanks to a boom in consumer credit and the big bang reforms for the City of London.

In the early 1950s, poverty levels were low, however at least in relative terms, in a time before most households had cars or colour televisions. As few as 13% of households were in relative poverty in 1953, the year of her coronation defined as having income 60% below the national median, before housing costs and remained at that level for decades despite the stellar economic growth of the 1960s. With the boom in higher-paying service sector jobs and cuts to welfare in the 1980s, relative poverty rose sharply to hit 22% by 1990. It has fallen since but remains high.

While growing significantly healthier and wealthier, Britain has, however, lagged behind several of its economic rivals, says Jagjit Chadha, the director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. No new IMF nor World Bank would, for example, offer the UK a seat at the top table, which was certainly the natural order in the first half of the 20th century.

That the Queen was nevertheless able to retain the international popularity of our monarchy at a time of imperial retreat and even bolster the UKs soft power is an enduring economic feat.

Throughout history our politicians have looked back for lessons about how to plot a successful course for the economic future. It has, though, not always been helpful, and might throw up a few unwanted answers for the politicians of the day.

When Margaret Thatcher came to power, the leading economic historian Nick Crafts says she asked her advisers to appraise the employment policies of her political hero, Winston Churchill. However, the results were far from helpful for the Iron Lady, who found Britains wartime leader ran a policy of appeasement when it came to the trade unions during the 1950s.

Unemployment during his second term in office, as the Queen came to the throne, was low at just under 2% of the working-age population; a figure unthinkable today, when a jobless rate of just under 4% is considered a sizeable victory in an otherwise challenging world.

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Fearful of electoral disaster if unemployment rose, Churchill prioritised cordial labour relations to help keep it low. Thatcher was unimpressed, Crafts says: When they handed her the report, she apparently read it and declared: wet, wet, wet!

Today the new prime minister, Liz Truss, appears on a similar mission to take the greatest hits of Thatcherism and repurpose them for the modern day. Yet there is only so far these lessons apply; coming as they do as the changes of decades past have reshaped the conditions for the road ahead.

Sweeping tax cuts, deregulation and fighting trade unions is hardly a successful recipe today, at a time of broad public support for more state spending for austerity-battered public services. In an age of zero-hours contracts and pay failing to keep pace with the soaring cost of living, few would wish to see their rights at work torn up, or have the regulations ensuring food and product safety watered down.

If there are learnings from postwar history to take, Truss could instead heed the leading voice of British industry, the CBI lobby group, which has called for a policy response closer to that used by the 1945 Labour government, and of partnership between government and business.

Truss has promised to deliver, deliver, deliver on rebooting the British economy. Dropping the failed lessons of the past would be a good way to start, and looking to different points of progress from the second Elizabethan age would help.

We are not faced with postwar reconstruction, industrial decline, the need to deregulate nor the need to hitch our colours to the rise of the City, Chadha says, underscoring this point. It is more a problem of how to bring the country and devolved nations together and aim for economic and social progress for all.

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Space companies put up a mixed second quarter. Here’s who outperformed and who faltered – CNBC

Posted: at 1:48 pm

The company's Electron rocket carrying the CAPSTONE mission lifts off from New Zealand on June 28, 2022.

Rocket Lab

The second quarter was a mixed bag for space companies, with some firms posting steady progress while others faced setbacks.

Most space stocks, many of which went public last year through SPAC deals, are struggling despite the industry's growth, off 50% or more since their market debut.The shifting market environment and climbing interest rates have hit technology and growth stocks hard, weighing on space stocks.

CNBC breaks down the most recent quarterly reports forAerojet Rocketdyne,AST SpaceMobile,Astra,BlackSky,Iridium,Maxar,Momentus,Mynaric,Redwire,Rocket Lab,Satellogic,Spire Global,Telesat,Terran Orbital,ViaSat,Virgin GalacticandVirgin Orbit.

Satellite imagery companyPlanethas yet to report its latest quarterly results, as the company follows a fiscal year calendar that began on Feb. 1.

Stock's year-to-date performance: -3%

Aerojet Rocketdyne continues to draw a major portion of revenue from the space sector. The propulsion specialist takes a majority of its $528.5 million in second-quarter sales from defense-related contracts. Notably, president and CEO Eileen Drake confirmed that Aerojet's backlog added a United Launch Alliance contract for 116 of the RL10 engines needed to power the Vulcan rocket series, many of which Amazon ordered.

Stock's year-to-date performance: +36%

The satellite-to-smartphone broadband company reported revenue of $7.3 million and total operating expenses of $35.4 million, both metrics slightly higher than the same period a year earlier. The company has $202.4 million in cash, as AST continues to work toward the launch of its Blue Walker 3 test satellite in September. It's spent $86.6 million on the demonstration to date.

Stock's year-to-date performance: -88%

Small rocket and spacecraft builder Astra reported another heavy quarterly loss, taking an adjusted EBITDA hit of $48.4 million. The company brought in just $2.7 million in revenue and announced the surprise cancellation of its Rocket 3.3 series along with a launch pause until at least 2023 as it pivots to developing the larger variation, Rocket 4.0. Astra has $200.7 million in cash on hand.

Stock's year-to-date performance: -52%

Seattle-based satellite imagery specialist BlackSky reported revenue of $15.1 million for the quarter, nearly double what is posted a year ago, and an adjusted EBITDA loss of $8.8 million. The company landed a major win in the form of an NRO contract for its imagery, worth up to $1.02 billion over a decade.

Stock's year-to-date performance: +9%

The satellite communications provider delivered revenue of $174.9 million, an operational EBITDA profit of $105.9 million and just under 1.9 million total subscribers up 17%, 12%, and 16%, respectively, from the same period a year prior. Iridium CEO Matt Desch emphasized on the call that the "business outperformed nicely," with the company "positioned well to grow ... even if recent concerns of an economic downturn come to fruition." The company also won a significant award from the Pentagon's Space Development Agency during the quarter, which Desch expects to add $133 million in revenue over seven years.

Stock's year-to-date performance: -58%

The spacecraft maker brought in just $50,000 in revenue, due to a canceled customer contract, and reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of $18.3 million. While Momentus has about $109 million in cash on hand, the company says it plans to reduce its quarterly cash burn by cutting some spending and delaying long-term R&D projects, as it focuses on resolving issues identified with its spacecraft during its latest mission.

Stock's year-to-date performance: -41%

The laser communications maker has yet to begin reporting quarterly results, having gone public in November. During the second quarter, Mynaric announced an agreement with defense firm L3Harris, which will take a 7.2% stake in the company and invest about $11 million.

Stock's year-to-date performance: -54%

The space infrastructure conglomerate collected $36.7 million in revenue during the quarter, up 14% from a year prior, with an adjusted EBITDA loss of $4.1 million. Notably, Redwire "expects to achieve positive adjusted EBITDA in the second half of 2022," even as it continues to invest in infrastructure expansions such as a newly opened robotic arm manufacturing facility in Luxembourg.

Stock's year-to-date performance: -54%

The multinational small-rocket and spacecraft builder reported $55.5 million in revenue, up 36% from the previous quarter, largely from its space systems division. It also increased its total order backlog to $531.4 million. The company reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of $8.5 million, but has over half a billion in cash on hand. Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck said on the company's earnings conference call that Rocket Lab continues "to see strong demand for Electron launches."

Stock's year-to-date performance: -53%

The satellite imagery company has yet to begin reporting quarterly results, having gone public in January. During the second quarter Satellogic debuted four additional satellites in orbit via a SpaceX launch, increasing its fleet to 26 so far. The company aims to have 34 in orbit by early 2023.

Stock's year-to-date performance: -55%

Small satellite builder and data specialist Spire brought in $19.4 million in revenue during the second quarter and reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of $7.3 million. For the full year 2022, the company expects that it will surpass $100 million in annual recurring revenue from subscribers.

Stock's year-to-date performance: -61%

The Canadian-based satellite communications operator reported revenue of about $143 million (converted at current rates from Canadian dollars), a slight decrease from the year before, with a contract backlog worth about $1.5 billion. Telesat posted an adjusted EBITDA profit of about $112 million. The company noted that, pending final manufacturer and financing agreements, capital expenditures "could increase substantially" to fund the development of its Lightspeed network.

Stock's year-to-date performance: -59%

The spacecraft manufacturer recorded $21.4 million in revenue during the quarter and reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of $14.8 million, while increasing its backlog to $224.1 million. Terran Orbital began delivering satellite buses, the main body of a spacecraft, to Lockheed Martin under a Pentagon contract, and supported the launch of NASA's CAPSTONE spacecraft, which it helped build.

Stock's year-to-date performance: -16%

The satellite broadband provider, which is on a fiscal year calendar that starts in April, reported quarterly revenue of $678 million and an adjusted EBITDA profit of $132 million the former a 2% year-over-year increase and the latter a 17% decrease. Viasat noted that it continues to see pressure on its finances from supply chain shortages and inflation. The company plans to launch its ViaSat-3 satellite late this year.

Stock's year-to-date performance: -55%

The space tourism company reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of $93 million on negligible revenue. Virgin Galactic announced yet another delay to the start of commercial service, pushing it back to the second quarter of 2023 as the company continues to refurbish the carrier aircraft that begins its spaceflights. Virgin Galactic reported $1.1 billion in cash on hand and announced plans to sell up to $300 million in common stock.

Stock's year-to-date performance: -50%

The alternative rocket launcher did not report any revenue, but completed a launch the day after the second quarter ended and will recognize $12 million from that in the next period. Virgin Orbit recorded an adjusted EBITDA loss of $34.4 million and $122.1 million in cash on hand. The company expects to complete two more launches this year, making for four total in 2022.

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Crews make first progress on Mosquito Fire with favorable weather, but threats remain with fresh fuel to the northeast – East Bay Times

Posted: at 1:48 pm

PLACER COUNTY High humidity and weak winds in the El Dorado National Forest over the weekend are helping firefighters battling the Mosquito Fire make the first steps in containing a blaze that has now been raging for close to a week.

But officials said that crews are not out of the woods just yet and fresh fuel to the northeast in the direction of Lake Tahoe could ignite a big fire if the favorable weather conditions disappear. Evacuation orders are also still active.

As of Sunday morning, the Mosquito Fire has burned 41,443 acres east of the Foresthill area in Placer County and is 10% contained. Though the fire grew by roughly 25% over the night, it was mostly from fire crews conducting prescribed burns to further contain the blaze, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Stan Bercovitz. No buildings have been destroyed so far; however, about 5,848 structures in the Foresthill area are under threat.

Fortunately for this fire, we havent had big winds, he said. But the fuels do exist. And the terrain exists (for it to grow further).

While the ignition sources to the northeast include burn scars from two previous fires, Bercovitz said that their terrain is made up of bushes that would create flashy fuels. Beyond the two burn scars is land that hasnt been touched by fires in decades, according to a fire briefing on Sunday morning. There are currently 1,808 crew members dispatched to the incident.

Bercovitz said containment has been difficult for crews because the terrain where the Mosquito Fire is burning is somewhat inaccessible and aircraft have had a hard time in the air because of smoky conditions.

On Sunday, evacuation orders were active in the Volcanoville, Quitette, Bald Mountain, Grey Eagle, Canyon Creek and Georgetown areas. Warnings were active in the Cool, Garden Valley, Swansboro, Slate Mountain and East Stumpy Meadows areas. More than 11,000 people have been evacuated, according to officials. In Placer County, an evacuation center has been set up at Sierra College. In El Dorado County, there are evacuations centers at Cameron Park Services District and Green Valley Community Church.

An air quality advisory was announced for Sunday because of smoke from the Mosquito Fire, as well as blazes in Washington State and Idaho.

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Loss to Illinois revealed differing levels of progress for Virginia offense and defense – The Daily Progress

Posted: at 1:48 pm

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. Saturday revealed differing levels of progress two weeks into Virginias first season under a new regime.

Theres a swelling belief among defenders in the scheme first-year coordinator John Rudzinski implemented, and an improving understanding in what Rudzinski is asking of them.

Take cornerback Anthony Johnsons interception on the second snap of the Cavaliers loss at Illinois for example.

Coach put me in a great position to just read the quarterbacks eyes, said Johnson, whose leaping, outstretched pick was the sixth of his career.

[Were] in Cover 2, he said without any hesitation of how the first of four forced turnovers came to be for the Hoos, with two verticals and sinking on the one. The quarterback threw it right to me, and then its just capitalizing and finishing on the play, making the play for the team.

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Said safety Langston Long, who had a game-high 13 tackles, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery against the Illini: I think were getting confidence in the defense, and I think were also getting confidence in each other as we become more coherent as a unit and as we grow closer. Were trusting each other and trusting our coaches. Thats all you can ask for. Thats what makes great defenses.

On top of the four takeaways, UVa tallied more sacks and tackles for loss against better competition in Week 2 against Illinois (three sacks, five tackles for loss) than in Week 1 against FCS Richmond (two sacks, three tackles for loss). Pass rushers Kam Butler and Chico Bennett Jr. each recorded a sack versus the Big Ten foe whereas none of the edge players took down the quarterback in the season-opening bout against the Spiders.

Rudzinski said his defense made a step forward against Illinois, but still has upgrades to make in regard to tackling and can learn from the pair of touchdown passes it allowed off play-action fakes to Illini quarterback Tommy DeVito.

But those seem like possible and realistic adjustments to take care of on the heels of an overwhelmingly positive showing for the group.

On the other hand, UVas offense, which tallied only 222 total yards for its lowest output since 2017 and failed to maximize on favorable field position following those turnovers early, has much more figuring out to do ahead of this coming Saturdays home tilt with Old Dominion.

First-year coach Tony Elliott said his teams offensive issues are all fixable, though.

In the opening quarter, the Cavaliers managed only nine yards of total offense and in the third quarter, they netted just six. For the game, they were 1-of-16 on third down.

That first quarter was the longest first quarter Ive ever been a part of, OC Des Kitchings said, but theres still an opportunity, theres still a chance. We just couldnt seize the moment offensively to put us in a position to score and capitalize on the opportunity, which is extremely unfortunate.

Kitchings said Illinois played man coverage on the perimeter and UVa failed to win those matchups while its offensive line couldnt protect quarterback Brennan Armstrong. He was sacked five times. Additionally, the Illini registered six quarterback hurries, so Armstrong continually faced pressure while throwing for 180 yards his first time failing to eclipse the 200-yard passing mark since Oct. 24, 2020 against Miami.

Elliott said the Cavaliers couldve planned more designed runs for Armstrong to eliminate the advantage in numbers Illinois had on every play at the line of scrimmage.

Whether or not that idea is incorporated next week, Armstrong and Kitchings said UVa must determine ways to be more efficient up front and in one-on-one situations now that the Illini created a blueprint for upcoming opponents to use against the Cavaliers, who are still trying to gain comfort in the balanced offensive system Elliott and Kitchings created and installed.

The Hoos ran an air raid last year under former coordinator Robert Anae.

We just havent seen a lot of man [coverage], Armstrong said. With our defense throughout fall [camp], we dont see a lot of man and thats all they did [on Saturday] and so, thats a good eye-opener of what we need to work on. Because, shoot, teams could see what happened there and come out and play man against us every time. I mean, thats a possibility. So, we better figure out how to protect, how to get the ball out and how to get open with man.

Said Kitchings: Things get copycatted and we got some things weve got to answer offensively and clean up going forward.

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Loss to Illinois revealed differing levels of progress for Virginia offense and defense - The Daily Progress

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