Light Pollution Now Affects Most Observatories on Earth

A study that was recently published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society found that two-thirds of all large observatories now see the quality of their images affected by stray radiation from nearby sources of light. Light pollution is not just a problem for astronomers, it also affects our health. I talked about this problem previously here.

Should We Assign an Alien Ambassador?

A research hub at the University of St Andrews in the UK wants to develop a plan for what to do in case extraterrestrials come to visit us. It’s a long shot, alright, but I think they're onto something and we should try to coordinate our response, just in case. Press release here. 

Wormholes Are in the News Again!

A paper that was recently published in PRD (a pretty good journal) presents a numerical simulation of a wormhole through which information can be sent. This is all well and fine but just because one can do it on a computer doesn’t mean those things exist in reality. As I told a journalist who asked for a comment: “Lots of things you can do mathematically that have nothing to do with reality.” He didn’t quote this though. More about this here.

Existential Risks

In this week’s video we look at what could cause the extinction of the human species, and what we know about the risks of man-made and natural disasters. Not the most cheerful topic, but at least you can take comfort knowing that some people are thinking hard about those problems.

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Existential Physics: The Big Questions Raised by Modern Physics

A contrarian scientist wrestles with the big questions that modern physics raises, and what physics says about the human condition. Order it here today!