Archive for the ‘Science & technology’ Category
Rosetta: a space mission in its own way as technically brilliant as putting a man on the moon
November 13th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
I’m really excited by the Rosetta mission and stunned by the technical achievement of putting Philae onto a comet. Here are some mission facts: Philae lander Travelled 6.4 billion km (four billion miles) to reach the comet Journey took 10 years Planning for the journey began 25 years ago Comet 67P More than four billion […]
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Is there other intelligent life out there or are we the alone in the universe?
November 5th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
If it is suggested that humankind is probably the only intelligent life in the universe, some people condemn this as an arrogant thought. But this is not a matter of attitude or emotion; it is a matter of science and probability. On the one hand, it seems impossible that humans can be alone in the […]
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Are there really multiple universes out there?
October 28th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
Vee and I are currently watching the new BBC 2 series titled “Human Universe” which is written and presented by Professor Brian Cox. In the second programme in the series, entitled “Why Are We Here?”, Cox concludes that our universe is simply one of an infinite number of universes making up the multiverse. I confess […]
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How life on Earth as we know it could have been transformed just two years ago – and only a few scientists noticed
July 28th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
I was at a barbecue in West Sussex this weekend and had an interesting chat with a family friend called Gerry Bond who told me about a recent event that could have changed life on Earth as we currently enjoy it. On 23 July 2012, the sun unleashed two massive clouds of plasma that barely […]
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What will the world look like in 2045?
July 12th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
The world population could reach 10.4 billion, compared with about 7.2 billion at present. More than 70% of the population is likely to live in urban areas. 3.9 billion people are likely to suffer water shortages. Driverless transport is likely to be widespread. Unmanned systems are increasingly likely to replace people in the workplace, leading […]
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Should we be worried by big data?
July 7th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
I’ve recently read a novel which presents a nightmarish vision of how the collection of personal data could totally undermine any notion of personal privacy. You can read my review of “The Circle” here. But big data could give us totally transformative approaches to the development of public policy and the tackling of social problems. […]
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Five ways in which science is making us reconsider some of our most basic beliefs
June 29th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
Lifestyle can change genes. The mind can affect the body. Quantum effects exist in biology. The universe is a computer (and we are the programmers). Human beings are nothing special. A short explanation of each of these insights here.
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Six minutes that explain our current understanding of the composition of the universe
June 27th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
We still have a lot to learn as explained in this clever little video.
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A little look at the Big Bang
June 16th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
This weekend, I went on a one-day course at London’s City Lit to study the Big Bang with tutor Roger O’Brien. I was pleased that I have viewed a number of television programmes and read a few books [the most recent reviewed here] on the subject, because it is quite mind-boggling. The tutor began by […]
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Correlation does not equal causation
June 12th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
This is well illustratedf by these remarkable examples.
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