Anti-matter captured and stored for record 16 minutes
Scientists have trapped and stored antihydrogen atoms for a record 16 minutes, a stunning technical feat that promises deeper insights into the mysteries of anti-matter.
Particles and anti-particles annihilate each other in a small flash of energy when they collide.
At the moment of the big bang, nearly 14 billion years ago, matter and anti-matter are thought to have existed in equal quantities. If that balance had persisted, the observable Universe we inhabit would never have come into being.
For unknown reasons -- and fortunately for us -- Nature seemed to have a slight preference for matter, and today anti-matter is rare.
This asymmetry remains one of the greatest riddles in particle physics.
But ongoing low-energy experiments with hydrogen atoms could be a key step toward solving it.
"We can keep the antihydrogen atoms trapped for 1,000 seconds. This is long enough to begin to study them -- even with the small number that we can catch so far," said Jeffrey Hangst, spokesman for the ALPHA team conducting the tests at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva.
In the study, published in the journal Nature Physics, researchers report trapping some 300 antiatoms.
Scientists used CERN's high-energy accelerator to create the antihydrogen atoms, and then chilled them to near-zero temperatures.
The aim is to use laser and microwave spectroscopy to compare the immobilised particles to their hydrogen counterparts.
The same team succeeded last year in trapping dozens of anti-matter atoms and holding them in place for a fraction of a second, a world first at the time.
But that was not long enough for the excitable particles to settle into the stable "ground" state needed for precise measurements.
The new benchmark extended this storage time 5,000 fold, making it possible to carry out crucial experiments.
Scientists will now look for "violations" or discrepancies in something called the charge-parity-time reversal (CPT) symmetry.
Measurements of trapped antihydrogen are due to get underway shortly, and could yield results before the end of the year. - telegraph
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Death by flying bear
A young Ottawa woman and her friend were killed on Monday night in a bizarre collision involving two vehicles and a bear on Highway 148 in the Pontiac. Police say a vehicle travelling eastbound near Luskville, Que. hit the 300-pound black bear at about 10:30, sending the animal into the opposite lane.
The bear was then struck by an oncoming car, sending the animal through the windshield and out the back window. "Add the weight of the bear, about a 300-pound bear, plus the speed of the vehicle, it's a deadly impact," said Const. Martin Fournel, spokesperson for MRC-des-Collines-de-l'Outaouais.
The two occupants of the first car escaped injury. However, two people in the second vehicle were killed instantly - those victims have been identified as a 25-year-old female driver from Ottawa and her friend, 40-year-old Steven Leon from Gatineau, who was riding in the back seat. The bear was also killed. - CTV
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UFO Disclosure Countdown Clock
Rick Phillips has posted a thought provoking piece titled Hokum From Beyond? The Galactic Federation Of Light - Speaks. Bookmark the UDCC blog...lot's of interesting information. Lon
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JOIN SPIRIT RESCUE INTERNATIONAL
Spirit Rescue International invites you to apply for voluntary positions within our organization.
Are you interested in the paranormal, have an open mind with a willingness to help others? Openings are available in client support, case research and administrative duties. Internet and medical knowledge a plus.
Forward a brief bio and contact information to:
Apply at Spirit Rescue International
Are you interested in the paranormal, have an open mind with a willingness to help others? Openings are available in client support, case research and administrative duties. Internet and medical knowledge a plus.
Forward a brief bio and contact information to:
Apply at Spirit Rescue International
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Bigfoot Group Watchful along Flooded Missouri River
They haven’t seen anything yet, but a group searching for proof of Bigfoot is alert for reports along the Missouri River, where they believe heavy flooding could disrupt the legendary creature’s normal comings and goings.
“We’re definitely going to keep our eye open for more reports that might come in, because the creatures might be a little displaced from all that flooding,” said investigator Rachel Luffman with the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, “They might be venturing into areas where there are more people, and more people might be seeing them.”
An online community of some 400 Bigfoot researchers nationwide, the BFRO investigates sightings and looks for patterns. One pattern, Luffman says is clear — where there’s water, there’s Bigfoot.
“Over the years, we found that it really does seem like sasquatches do tend to use river systems and creeks as roadways,” Luffman said, “They tend to stick close to fresh water and they stick close to those rivers. If the rivers start flooding, they might be moving out of their comfort zone.”
Luffman admits her field of research suffers from hoaxes, jokes and shakey videos. But she insists there is something real about it that can’t be dismissed. Her own father, she says, went from Bigfoot skeptic to believer, after attending a night time expedition with her in 2009 in the Shawnee National Forest.
“We were out there. We went up a trail and cooked some bacon, hoping that might attract something,” Luffman said, ”And we had done some calls, and on the way down, we had our lights on because it was dark and we had to see, and my Dad just happened to turn his head off the trail and saw two huge eyes looking back at him from about 30 feet away.
“And when I came back, I looked and with both of our lights shining on this creature we could see his eyes, the shape of his head. It was just amazing, He took a few steps away from us. He sounded enormous. He was obviously walking on two legs.”
With floodwaters rolling down the Missouri River, Luffman says hikers, campers and motorists should be circumspect for possible Bigfoot sightings — anything from a road crossing to a face-to-face encounter.
“Do stay calm. Remember that they’re not as a rule aggressive animals . They’re pretty quiet. They’re curious about people.
“And don’t try to shoot it or anything like that. Don’t run after it. Just try to stay calm and show it some respect and you’ll have an experience that is incredible.” - stlouis.cbslocal
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Prohibited - sale/consumption of alcohol to those possessed by any psychic anomaly?
This was publicly posted in Lisbon, Portugal:
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Barbie: Serial Killer
An environmental organization has accused Barbie, the world's most popular doll, of being a sadistic serial killer.
According to Greenpeace, the 52-year-old fashion icon immortalized in plastic by Mattel, Inc., is involved in rainforest destruction in Indonesia.
"Barbie is trashing rainforests and pushing critically endangered wildlife, like tigers, towards extinction," said Bustar Maitar, head of Greenpeace’s campaign to save the forests in Indonesia.
"This is happening because Barbie's packaging comes from the rainforests of Indonesia, home to species like the Sumatran tiger," Maitar continued.
Greenpeace said they opened the investigation of Barbie after forensic testing revealed the origin of her packaging. The organization also claims they have obtained company certificates that allegedly show that Mattel uses packaging produced by a company that was previously exposed for wrecking rainforests.
"Mattel ... must stop wrapping the world's most famous toy in rainforest destruction," Maitar said.
The dark underbelly of Barbie's alleged activities has damaged her relationship with her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Ken, Greenpeace said.
On Tuesday, activists dressed as Ken dolls lowered themselves down the 15-story Mattel headquarters building in El Segundo, Calif., and hung massive 2,500-square-foot protest banners that read: "Barbie, it's over. I don't date girls that are into deforestation."
According to Rolf Skar, a blogger for Greenpeace, Barbie -- or rather a female activist dressed as Barbie -- was present during the protest.
"On ground level, Barbie cruised around in her bright pink 'dream dozer' more worried about her wardrobe than the fate the forests, tigers, and our climate," Skar wrote in a blog post. "When asked what her reaction was to Ken's objection to her role in forest destruction, she smiled, batted her lashes and said, referring to her bulldozer, 'do you think they will let me park this at the mall?'"
Nearly a dozen activists, including "Barbie," were arrested after hanging the posters. They were charged with conspiracy and trespassing, according to Reuters.
Mattel has since issued a statement regarding Greenpeace's allegations, saying they are disappointed in the organization's actions.
"Playing responsibly has long been an important part of Mattel's business practices. ... Over the past months we have been in communication with Greenpeace on a variety of paper sourcing issues. We are surprised and disappointed that they have taken this inflammatory approach," the statement read.
The company said they will "continue to assess our paper sourcing and packaging improvements" as they move forward. - weirdnews.aol
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