Apparently a galaxy has been found without any
dark matter
Normally this would be a cause for concern, but as dark matter has never been empirically proven to
exist, I think we'll just have to collectively shake our heads in bewilderment.
'Dark Matter' is possibly a marketing opportunity according to
this piece - interesting article, but the overuse of the phrase '
sort of ' makes me sad.
Still, it's a step up from '
kinda '...if you know
worra mean...
Perhaps I'm psychic...or a jinx, as no sooner did I mention * the pending launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, than it was
put back to 2020.
The JWST has a long history of delays, going way back to 2005, but let's not be negative.
Sadly though, the delay will impact on
other projects
Similarly, the
Parker Solar Probe hit a couple of delays (it is also the only NASA craft named after a
living person) but is now on target for a launch window between May and July 2018 :
if you're quick, you can include
your own name, sending it to
the sun - not sure of the symbolism here - thousands of sun sacrifices at the same time,
hmmm
 |
| Mayan sacrifices to the sun revisited ? |
If you would prefer a
hands- on role with NASA, now is the time - I'd apply, but not being a U.S. citizen
means no, sadly...
There will be a bout of synchronised satellite flying in 2020, as ESA send
proba 3 to record the suns corona closer than ever before.
The proba series of missions were designed to be low cost, small satellite projects-
Long ago,
proba 1 was a satellite used for aerial photography, such as
this shot of the Giza pyramid complex in Egypt.
Which brings us to
the news that algorithms intended to reveal nudity are turning up images of
sand dunes...perhaps it is more evidence that the science behind AI is not really fit for purpose; another frustration for Microsoft who are trying to make progress in what they see as a triptych of science offering great potential -
AI, Augmented Reality, and Quantum Computing.
 |
| Sand nudes , as they say... |
They are currently working with an
elusive particle -
Majorana Fermion, in an attempt to corner the market in 'quantum supremacy' which is a long shot given that they have yet to produce an
actual quantum computer ( D-wave have allegedly already done this, although their computers are
very limited in ability).
Majorana Fermion is unique, in that it contains its its own anti-particle , as well as retaining memory of where it's been, and Microsoft hope to use it for
braiding - the best analogy I can think of is the use of knots to contain information as practiced in many cultures - particularly the Andean
Quipu system which was in use until it was eradicated by the Spanish conquistadors.
Another analogy would be the DNA helix structure which contains the encrypted passcode to
everything living... either way, good luck to Microsoft in their quantum endeavours. I'm only surprised that neither Jeff Bezos nor Elon Musk are involved in the race for ' quantum supremacy'...
IN OTHER NEWS...
It appears that the '
alien megastructure star' is at it again , with further dips in luminosity.
As I write this micro-blog post, we await the
re-entry of the Chinese space station Tiangong 1 - debris is expected to fall between New Zealand and the U.S. - sometime on Monday 2nd April.
Previous debris falls included the 77 tonne Skylab in 1979...**
**UPDATE- Tiangong 1 burned up harmlessly somewhere overhead,,,
This link contains some stunning processed images of the Gale crater on Mars, thanks to Sean Dorán
TTFN,
G
Happy April Fools Day, Easter, Eostre !
*23rd March blogpost
