Recent content by GerdankenDonuts

Found this on Wikipedia: interesting High energy photoneutron Neutrons (photoneutrons) are produced when photons above the nuclear binding energy of a substance are incident on that substance, causing it to undergo giant dipole resonance after which it either emits a neutron...

Interesting, is there some example or discussion of such a process that can be linked to?

I suppose that is possible, not being a nuclear physicist I don't know but can gamma rays even induce nuclear reactions?

Chuck Norris decides whether or not P is the same as NP. Chuck Norris knows a consistent set of axioms capable of proving all truths about the relations of the natural numbers.

This may be (probably is) a stupid question but in a popular current story in astronomical news, scientists have put forth the idea that a spike in C14 and Be10 isotopes found in tree rings in Japan and a few other locations in 775 AD could have been due to a short GRB 3kly to 12kly away...

My school is building a new science complex and the administration has agreed to make an observatory part of the complex. The budget may be in the high 5 figures for the equipment (maybe a slim chance for low 6 figures). I'm pretty new to observational and CCD astronomy and so would like to...

Thanks Chronos, great freeware. Most of those are actually virtual planetariums though, I didn't see any true VO's. Actually, I don't know of any free virtual observatories for the general public. slooh.com has a pretty cool voyeur-style free trial membership though.

I think I read a critique of rare Earth in an article by Darling but don't recall the specifics, I will have to pick up his book and take a look. His main critique seems to be based on guilt by association. I don't recall them crediting Gonzalez (the blatant ID'er) with the seemingly...

Hi GB, No neither author is a creationist, they are in fact two very respected scientists as I have gathered. Ward is a paleontologist and Brownlee an astronomer (errata: it is not David but Donald Brownlee that I was referring to). One of their arguments was informed by conversations with...

While it is correctly classified as speculation, it is reasonable and informed speculation that lies behind the "rare earth" hypothesis. Although I would really very much like to be wrong, I would have to put my money on zero technological civilizations (besides us) in the Milky Way. To quote...

I found Ward and Brownlee's arguments pretty convincing even though some ideas were proposed by a devout christian creationist astronomer (although neither one knew it at the time) if I recall correctly. Life is probably pretty common in the universe but complex "animals" are probably...

The first evidence for string theory? I saw this article summary on New Scientist today, any opinions/comments? *************************************************** The first evidence for string theory? * 18 December 2004 * Marcus Chown * Magazine issue 2478 A double view...

Woohooo! Congratulations to Rutan and Company http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/xprize2_success_041004.html

NASA Approves Robotic Rescue Mission for Hubble But it's not going to be "cheap" http://space.com/news/hubble_mission_040810.html

A Salty Sea At Meridiani Planum "A salty sea once washed over the plains of Mars at the Opportunity rover's landing site, creating a life-friendly environment more earthlike than any known on another world, NASA scientists announced today."...