- May 15, 2015
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This is a newsletter for the fairly well educated lay person devoted to topics related to quantum mechanics.
IIRC, it started out as a publication of Fermilab (the location of the largest and most powerful synchrotron prior to CERN). But it has grown quite a bit and now has at least a half dozen other well known media outlets.
I've been extremely interested in QM since the late 70's or early 80's. I've never made a serious effort to learn the various maths involved but have instead taken a more conceptual approach, which can be quite mind bending. The maths at least don't purport to make any sort of real world sense.
Usually after saying the words quantum and mechanics in the same breath, you get either snickers (most commonly) or a donut glaze stare worthy of Krispy Kreme. And while the numerous and bizarre contradictions and inconsistencies never seem to end, it is currently our best peephole into the subatomic universe.
If you're pretty much new to this stuff, don't despair. Try to read some of the articles anyway. It won't be long before some highly technical jargon starts to feel familiar. After that, this truly unhinged rabbit hole is yours to conquer.
Here's my most recent headache:
www.quantamagazine.org
IIRC, it started out as a publication of Fermilab (the location of the largest and most powerful synchrotron prior to CERN). But it has grown quite a bit and now has at least a half dozen other well known media outlets.
I've been extremely interested in QM since the late 70's or early 80's. I've never made a serious effort to learn the various maths involved but have instead taken a more conceptual approach, which can be quite mind bending. The maths at least don't purport to make any sort of real world sense.
Usually after saying the words quantum and mechanics in the same breath, you get either snickers (most commonly) or a donut glaze stare worthy of Krispy Kreme. And while the numerous and bizarre contradictions and inconsistencies never seem to end, it is currently our best peephole into the subatomic universe.
If you're pretty much new to this stuff, don't despair. Try to read some of the articles anyway. It won't be long before some highly technical jargon starts to feel familiar. After that, this truly unhinged rabbit hole is yours to conquer.
Here's my most recent headache:
Top Dark Matter Candidate Loses Ground to Tiniest Competitor
Physicists have long searched for hypothesized dark matter particles called WIMPs. Now, focus may be shifting to the axion — an ultra-lightweight particle whose existence would solve two mysteries at…
www.quantamagazine.org
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