Physics / Astronomy – Athens Science Observer https://athensscienceobserver.com A Closer Look at the Science Around Us Sat, 12 May 2018 23:59:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://i1.wp.com/athensscienceobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/cropped-eye512.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Physics / Astronomy – Athens Science Observer https://athensscienceobserver.com 32 32 94425623 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics https://athensscienceobserver.com/2017/10/07/2017-nobel-prize-in-physics/ Sat, 07 Oct 2017 15:36:46 +0000 http://athensscienceobserver.com/?p=7660 On Tuesday, October 3rd the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish, and Kip Thorne for their contributions to the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). On February 11th, 2016, LIGO announced the first detection of gravitational waves, a monumental moment in science. Gravitational waves were predicted by Albert Einstein in 1916, […]

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]]> 7660 What is Quantum Mechanics? https://athensscienceobserver.com/2016/11/09/what-is-quantum-mechanics/ Wed, 09 Nov 2016 16:56:06 +0000 http://athensscienceobserver.com/?p=5232 What comes to mind when you think about the word “physics?” You probably see yourself sitting in your high school or college Intro Physics course trying to memorize what seemed to be pointless equations and relationships between variables. For example, the good ole’ F=ma. Many of us know these basic physical principles referred to as […]

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]]> 5232 Wait a Hot Minute! https://athensscienceobserver.com/2016/05/25/wait-a-hot-minute/ Wed, 25 May 2016 14:22:16 +0000 https://athensscienceobserver.com/?p=3530 What if I told you that the flow of time is an illusion due to our limited consciousness and that the only true distinction between the past and the future is the presence of heat? You might call me crazy. However, it turns out that while the flow of time is obviously an essential part […]

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]]> 3530 Getting around space, Star Wars style? https://athensscienceobserver.com/2016/05/05/getting-around-space-star-wars-style/ Thu, 05 May 2016 15:07:06 +0000 https://athensscienceobserver.com/?p=3383 Normally the scientific community takes a stab at making science fiction a reality. But, science fiction took a page from science this time around. Learn about how the ion engines of Star Wars work in reality and how it is enabling space exploration, like never before. Links: CubeSat Podcast, Saturn V Rocket, Ion Propulsion Science, Dawn Spacecraft and Ion […]

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]]> 3383 That’s No Moon… https://athensscienceobserver.com/2016/05/02/thats-no-moon/ Mon, 02 May 2016 15:56:46 +0000 https://athensscienceobserver.com/?p=3337 Welcome to Star Wars week here at the Athens Science Observer. To help celebrate May the 4th – Star Wars Day –  we wanted to take a look at the real life science of that galaxy far far away. To start off, we’ll dive into one of the most iconic pieces of Star Wars culture: […]

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]]> 3337 First Detection of Gravitational Waves https://athensscienceobserver.com/2016/02/19/first-detection-of-gravitational-waves/ Fri, 19 Feb 2016 12:00:00 +0000 https://athensscienceobserver.com/?p=2500 By Paige Copenhaver On February 11th, scientists from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) announced the first ever detection of gravitational waves. Analogous to ripples caused by throwing a rock into a pond, gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of spacetime caused by the acceleration of massive objects in space. The collision of […]

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]]> 2500 “Where is Everybody?”: Drake, Fermi and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life https://athensscienceobserver.com/2015/08/18/where-is-everybody-drake-fermi-and-the-search-for-extraterrestrial-life/ Tue, 18 Aug 2015 15:25:07 +0000 https://athensscienceobserver.com/?p=1233 I do not have much in common with Russian billionaire Yuri Milner. I do not own a palatial estate in the hills of Los Altos. I did not invest in Facebook or Zynga or Spotify. I am not married to a high fashion model and do not drive million-dollar cars. I do not even have […]

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]]> 1233 Dark Matter and Dark Energy https://athensscienceobserver.com/2015/05/18/dark-matter-and-dark-energy/ Mon, 18 May 2015 14:56:25 +0000 https://athenssciencecafe.wordpress.com/?p=662 By: Paige Copenhaver, Athens Science Café Most people have heard of dark matter and dark energy in the news or in the media. For example, in Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Enterprise encounters a dark matter cloud. In Futurama, dark matter is used to fuel starships. Though many people are familiar with the terms, […]

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]]> 662 Lightsabers: Science fiction, or scientific possibility? https://athensscienceobserver.com/2015/05/04/lightsabers-science-fiction-or-scientific-possibility/ Mon, 04 May 2015 11:10:00 +0000 https://athenssciencecafe.wordpress.com/?p=613 “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” Arthur C. Clarke SciFi is one of the most popular genres of storytelling out there. Greats like Lucas, Asimov, and Shelley have inspired generations to think weirder and imagine bigger. In the last 15 years alone, we have developed prototypes for jetpacks, driverless cars and organ printing […]

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]]> 613 Microwaves in Space! https://athensscienceobserver.com/2015/02/23/microwaves-in-space/ Mon, 23 Feb 2015 11:57:30 +0000 https://athenssciencecafe.wordpress.com/?p=485 How old is the universe? The deeper you look into space, the further you are looking back in time. This is because the further light is away from us, the longer it takes for it to reach us. Looking back in time to about 378,000 years after the birth of the universe, and thus viewing […]

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]]> 485 Not so Fast Elon Musk: The Biological Barriers to Colonizing Mars or the Moon https://athensscienceobserver.com/2014/11/10/not-so-fast-elon-musk-the-biological-barriers-to-colonizing-mars-or-the-moon/ Mon, 10 Nov 2014 11:25:50 +0000 http://athenssciencecafe.wordpress.com/?p=299 The reality of a man-made colony in space is becoming more plausible every year. Both private industry and government institutions are combining their collective genius to tackle the substantial engineering challenges associated with building human habitats on these completely alien environments. Many see space colonization as inevitable, like homesteading the American West with a twist; […]

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