Recent content by willyengland

  1. W

    I Significant figures for inherently bound values

    I'm a layman in this field. In my opinion, there's a difference between expressing a probability as 0.1234 and as 0.000001234. The latter is more precise, isn't it?
  2. W

    Rock on Mars possibly indicating Life

    Then there will be the problem that Mars will be contaminated with biological material.
  3. W

    Coulomb's force vs the Lorentz force

    Let's say I have two beams, one with protons and one with electrons, traveling parallel to each other at the same speed. I'm looking at them from above. Do the beams converge or diverge? As a layman I would say, they converge.
  4. W

    I Why can’t photons “pile up” to eject an electron?

    A multi-photon absorption might happen I think under extreme conditions like a strong laser.
  5. W

    I Potential biosignature found in Mars rock

    You are right. That's what I meant.
  6. W

    I Potential biosignature found in Mars rock

    The discovery is nothing new. It's now being brought back to light in order to possibly avoid the feared budget cuts. Mars Sample Return has essentially been canceled, which is very sad, given that billions have already been invested in this complex mission. ESA is also involved. :frown:
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    I Useless continued fraction for 1

    Btw, the continued fraction with all ones is the golden ratio and it converges extremely slowly. In this respect it is the most irrational of all numbers.
  8. W

    B How can a black hole absorb matter?

    What is a "null surface"?
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    I Could fast radio bursts be alien radar signals?

    New article: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adf29f The observations add evidence to a leading theory that magnetars, or the highly magnetized remnants of dead stars, could be a source of fast radio bursts.
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    I Eddington’s margin of error

    Here is the relevant article: https://pubs.aip.org/physicstoday/article/62/3/37/395000/Testing-relativity-from-the-1919-eclipse-a The plates were re-measured in 1979 using modern methods and proved Eddington/Einstein right.
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    A Crisis for Newly Minted CompSci Majors -- entry level jobs gone

    Think of AI as software. You have to deal with software and how to use it in your studying. It may take years to be really good in using a specific sophisticated software. Same with AI. (for now)
  12. W

    AI vs. German Physics Olympiad

    AFAIK not even pocket calculators are allowed in those olympiads. How did they do it?
  13. W

    Solubility of MgSO47H2O in water

    A quick search point me immediately to: https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/DE/de/support/calculators-and-apps/solubility-table-compounds-water-temperature https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Magnesium-sulfate-solubility-at-various-temperatures_fig4_325459625
  14. W

    I How to explain the strange pulsar in the Crab Nebula?

    Isn't the magnetic dipole perpendicular to its rotation axis? Or what exactly is your question?
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    Physics Theoretical Physics Careers in Germany

    Permanent full-time positions are few and far between in Academia. To find and get one you have to be very good and you need a lot of luck. Almost all jobs are fixed-term (2 - 3 years). There are more of them.