News

"Quantum mechanics rule 'bent' in classic experiment"

By Rob Winters - Published on Friday, 03 June 2011 06:56

"Researchers have bent one of the most basic rules of quantum mechanics, a counterintuitive branch of physics that deals with atomic-scale interactions.

Its "complementarity" rule asserts that it is impossible to observe light behaving as both a wave and a particle, though it is strictly both.

In an experiment reported in Science, researchers have now done exactly that.

They say the feat "pulls back the veil" on quantum reality in a way that was thought to be prohibited by theory.

Quantum mechanics has spawned and continues to fuel spirited debates about the nature of what we can see and measure, and what nature keeps hidden - debates that often straddle the divide between the physical and the philosophical."

"E. coli outbreak: Germany appeals for blood donors"

By Rob Winters - Published on Friday, 03 June 2011 06:51

"German clinics are appealing for blood donations as the number of people infected with a deadly strain of E. coli has risen above 1,730.

So far 17 people have died from the bug in Germany, and it is suspected in another death. One also died in Sweden.

German scientists say they have decoded the new E. coli strain's genes, with help from a Chinese lab. It is a new hybrid form toxic to humans."

"A new strain of the MRSA in cows"

By Rob Winters - Published on Friday, 03 June 2011 06:47

"A new strain of the MRSA "superbug" has been found in British cows and is believed to be infecting humans.

Environmental campaigners say the new strain has emerged because of the over-use of antibiotics by dairy farmers.

Dr Mark Holmes of Cambridge University, who led the research, said this was a "credible hypothesis"."

"The power of music to affect the brain"

By Rob Winters - Published on Thursday, 02 June 2011 07:59

"Science all but confirms that humans are hard-wired to respond to music. Studies also suggest that someday music may even help patients heal from Parkinson's disease or a stroke.

In The Power of Music, Elena Mannes explores how music affects different groups of people and how it could play a role in health care."

"Why physical media still matters"

By Rob Winters - Published on Thursday, 02 June 2011 07:35

"This month, Amazon announced that sales of digital books for the Kindle have surpassed printed books for the first time. At times like these, it feels like everything physical in the world, from DVDs and CDs to paperbacks and boardgames, is evaporating right before our eyes, turning into invisible and insubstantial digital data stored in the online “cloud”.

Depending on your inclination, you might see this as a brave new online future where what was once scarce and expensive is now abundant and free (or at least, very cheap), and that without the weight of hundreds of books and DVDs, we can all become much more mobile – certainly a useful thing in these times of punishingly high house prices and short-term jobs."

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