10 interesting facts that you should know about black holes


Imagine matter, packed so tightly that nothing could leave its limits. No moon, no planet, not even light. Those black holes - the point at which the gravitational force is so great that it is a danger to all that accidentally enters a fateful line near the black hole. We often talk about where are the black holes are and why they are so important. Below you will find ten facts about black holes - brush up on your knowledge of these beautiful objects.

1. You can not see a black hole directly.
Because a black hole is truly black - light can not escape its limits - it can not be seen directly, using our tools, regardless of what type of electromagnetic radiation, you see (visible light, X-rays, or whatever). But we can see the effects that the black hole has on the immediate environment. For example, the star was too close to the black hole. The black hole naturally attracts the star and breaks it apart. When the matter of the star begins to be absorbed by the black hole, it is accelerated, it becomes hot and glows brightly in X-ray spectrum.

2. In the Milky Way, most likely, there is a black hole.
Clearly, many are concerned the question of how a black hole is dangerous and threatens the world though there is any possibility to be absorbed by the object? The answer is no, astronomers say, although there is a certain probability that the enormous supermassive black hole hidden at the center of our galaxy. Fortunately, we are quite far from the monster - roughly two-thirds of our galaxy from the center - but its effects can be observed from a distance. The European Space Agency says that the black hole in the center of the Milky Way is a million times more massive than our Sun, and is surrounded by amazingly hot gas.

3. Dying stars create a stellar black holes.
Let's say you have a star 20 times as massive of our sun. Our Sun slowly fade; When nuclear fuel is over, the sun slowly become a white dwarf. But with more massive stars does not. When they run out of fuel, gravity suppresses the natural pressure of the star and pushes it inside. When the pressure of nuclear reactions collapses, the gravitation severely squeezes into the core of the star, its outer layers fly in space. This is called a supernova. The remaining core collapses into a singularity - a point of infinite density and zero volume almost. Singularity - the heart of a black hole.

4. Black holes come in different sizes.
There are at least three different types of black holes, NASA claims, ranging from relatively small to those located in galaxies. Primordial black holes - the smallest, their sizes are from a single atom to the whole mountain. Stellar black holes, the most common type, up to 20 times more massive than our sun. And there are monsters in the centers of galaxies - supermassive black holes. They reach millions of solar masses and more. How do these monsters are formed, it is still not really clear.

5. around black holes, strange things happen.
This is best illustrated by the following example. One man (we'll call him a loser) falls into a black hole, while the other person (Lucky) - looks. From the perspective of the lucky watch Jonah will tick slower and slower. This is because according to Einstein's general theory of relativity, time depends on how fast you are moving when you pick up to extreme near-light speed. The black hole distorts space and time so that the time of Jonah is slower. However, in his view the clock runs normally, but at the Lucky - in a hurry.

6. The first black hole found only with the advent of X-ray astronomy.
Cygnus X-1 was first discovered during a flight in a balloon in 1960, but ten years this place has been identified as a black hole. According to NASA, this black hole is 10 times more massive than the sun. Next to it is a blue supergiant star about 20 times more massive than the sun. A black hole sucks in the star, and she glows brightly in X-ray spectrum.

7. Considers that the nearest black hole - 1,600 light-years.
Erroneous measurement V4641 Sagitarii led to the news that the nearest black hole to us is too close to Earth, only 1,600 light-years. Not close enough to be dangerous, but it is much closer than you think. Further investigation showed that the black hole is much further. Looking at the rotation of its companion star, as well as other factors, the scientists in 2014 provided more accurate results - 20 000 light-years.

8. We do not know whether there are wormholes.
A popular topic for a science fiction story - this is when someone falls into a black hole. Some people believe that these objects are a kind of wormhole wormhole standards in other parts of the universe, allowing to travel faster than the speed of light. But the truth is that we still do not know how to describe them in terms of physics. "We have no theory that would unite general relativity with quantum mechanics, we do not know the whole zoo of possible structures of space-time, which could accommodate wormholes" - says Avi Loeb, a physicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

9. The black holes are dangerous, but if you find yourself too close.
As people at the zoo, we can observe black holes only if you are outside the event horizon - you can imagine it as a planet's gravitational field. This area is a point of no return, if you get too close, you have no chance to escape. But outside of this area of ​​the black hole can be safely observed. In a broader sense, it means that the black hole is unlikely to absorb the entire universe (unless, of course, in our understanding of the physics of the cosmos does not happen a serious revolution).

10. Black Holes - pets of science fiction.
Taken as many films with the participation of black holes, it is impossible to list them all. Of the latter, it may be noted "Interstellar" by Christopher Nolan - it people travel through the universe to look at the black hole. "Event Horizon" explores the phenomenon of artificial black holes - something like that discussed in the "Star Trek." Obviously, these mysterious objects that distort our perception of reality and simply do not fit into the average person's head, popular with writers, writers and directors - also, in general, not ordinary people.

The Chinese have declared their readiness to clone humans

Chinese scientists from the project recently the world's largest "factory of clones", declared their readiness to clone humans. The only obstacle to this, according to the Chinese - the public reaction.
According to Agence France-Presse, a large-scale plans in the field of cloning said the executive director of the factory of the future Xu Xiaochun. As previously reported Naked Science, the largest enterprise in the world to clone a Chinese company to build Boyalife Group in collaboration with the South Korean Sooam Biotech Research Foundation and Chinese Academy of Sciences in North China Tianjin.
It is planned that the company will begin work in the next seven months. The volume of production of cloned cows by 2020 will amount to one million per year. The term "Clone Factory" also intends to be engaged in the production of horses for races and police dogs with special abilities (increased sense of smell and search).
Another area of ​​interest is the cloning of primates enterprise for medical experiments. Therefore, the application guide future factory about readiness to move from primates to humans was logical. "The technology is already there. If it is officially allowed, I do not think anyone will cope with this better than Boyalife », - he told reporters Xu Xiaochun. He pointed out that so far no experiments in human cloning enterprise carries.

Geneticists have discovered the molecular clock, predictive cancer

Michael Stratton of the Sanger Institute of Cambridge discovered in the human molecular clock that can measure the speed of development of cancerous tumors. Details of this discovery tells the magazine Nature Genetics.

In the scientific journal Nature Genetics was reported that the scientist Michael Stratton of the Sanger Institute of Cambridge found in the human body molecular clock, which are able to measure the speed of development of cancerous tumors. This watch shows when and what processes mutations occur in the human body.

The scientist said that every year the life processes of mutation in the body is growing. It is absolutely natural, because each cell has a copy of the genome. As a result, the mutated gene is imprinted in onkokletki cells similar signature. These processes mutations may predict the development of cancer to its full manifestation. Thanks to this discovery scientists may be able to find the key to solving the problem of the treatment of cancer.

Scientists have established a record for distance quantum teleportation using intricate and "twisted" photons

Over the past three decades, the science of quantum communication and quantum computing has progressed quite a faster pace, constantly adding new protocols, algorithms and hardware. However, the practical implementation of all these theories, due to which it will be possible to realize a quantum Internet and create super-powerful quantum computers is quite a difficult task at the present time. The actual embodiment of the technologies required for the transmission and processing of quantum information, such as "elusive" quantum router constantly encounters the lack of knowledge and lack of other related technologies.

Anton Zeilinger (Anton Zeilinger), a researcher at the University of Vienna, is one of the pioneers of quantum technologies, his research group has carried out the first quantum teleportation using light photons in 1997. Recently, members of this group have announced that both managed to replay using the new method of quantum entanglement between independent qubits, which divides the distance of 143 kilometers. In addition, they were able to get a pair of entangled photons of light, swirling in a special way, which retained its involvement after going a distance of three kilometers.

To transmit quantum entanglement from one object to another, researchers used a curious phenomenon. They created two traditional way of entangled photons, and by changing the polarization of one of them, have achieved simultaneous change in the polarization of the second photon. Now imagine that there are two pairs of entangled photons, the numbers 0 and 1 in the area of ​​the receiving node, and 2 and 3 in the transmitting node. Both pairs of entangled absolutely no influence on each other and do not even feel the presence of the second pair, in other words, between them there is no physical connection or quantum. Photon 3 is sent from the transmitter to the receiver, and interacts with a photon 1. As a result, photons 1 and 3 are complicated. And the most surprising thing is that, in parallel with the established channel of quantum entanglement between photons 0 and 2, even though they are separated by a distance, and they never interact directly with each other.

Currently, the group of Anton Zeilinger working together with researchers from the Chinese University of Science and Technology (University of Science and Technology of China) within the space project. The following year, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Academy of Science) plans to launch a satellite Quantum Science Satellite, on board of which will be a quantum transceiver. The satellite and terrestrial stations in Europe and China, will form the first ever quantum network linking Earth and Space. "If we can create two quantum channel between a satellite and two ground stations, we get 100 percent secure quantum communication channel between Europe and China," - says Mario Krenn (Mario Krenn), a member of the Austrian research group.

Last year a group of Anton Zeilinger reported a successful experiment in which was carried out quantum teleportation of information encoded in the form of the orbital angular momentum (orbital angular momentum, AOM) polarization of a photon of light. The usual form photons can have only two kinds of polarization, so-called polarization levels. But the number of discrete orbital angular momentum of the photon polarization twisted almost unlimited. "In our new laboratory experiments, we have shown that it is possible to create quantum entanglement acting once in a hundred measurements covering a hundred different levels of polarization" - says Mario Krenn - "And such a vast confusion can be kept active at a distance of three kilometers."

"Control of the quantum state of twisted photons is much more difficult than simply measuring the level of polarization of the ordinary photon" - says Mario Krenn, - "But we managed to implement a suitable method of synchronous measurement, which guarantees the absence of the influence of independent pairs of entangled photons at each other and that showed that photons with AOM-involvement retain it as a passing through the fiber under ideal conditions, and through the atmosphere, which can cause distortion of the light passing through it. "

Doctors cracked the blood-brain barrier into the brain to deliver a cure for cancer


To our knowledge, this is the first successful "break" blood-brain barrier without the use of invasive techniques. With the help of ultrasound bubbles, and scientists were able to simply turn off the "ultra-reliable custody", protects the brain from all the excess, which can get into it with blood.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) ​​may be compared with the customs at the border between the central nervous system and the blood flow. This whole system of cells and mechanisms whose task is to protect the precious brain from toxins, viruses, bacteria and other elements present in the blood. This is a useful and important thing - but in some cases it begins to interfere. BBB is often just as impenetrable wall in the way of drugs that have to work in the brain tissue.

"Blood-brain barrier is a constant obstacle to the delivery of drugs in the treatment of, for example, tumors, - says a Canadian physician and researcher Meynprayz Todd (Todd Mainprize). - And so we are very encouraged that we were able to temporarily "open" this barrier in our patient and to provide targeted delivery of chemotherapy agents directly into the brain tumor. "

The authors argue that this is the first effective non-invasive method of "off" BBB. He looks very interesting. Along with the right medicine in the patient's blood served a myriad of tiny bubbles, smaller than a red blood cell - they are easily carried away by the bloodstream. Then use the scanner and weak sound waves they were working on bubbles only in strictly defined vessels - those that belong to the BBB in the right part of the brain. Ultrasound made the bubbles quickly and vary greatly, pushing superdense connection cells of the vessel wall. In the resulting gaps and penetrating medicine.

Meynprayz colleagues perfected the technique for almost 20 years, but now they are confident that the deed is done, and soon, this approach can be applied in the treatment of a wide range of diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson, psychiatric abnormalities.

How to learn a new language: 7 Tips from TED translators

Play tips on language learning from the people who know how to say «Hello» and «London is the ...», is meaningless. But by professionals - not. TED translators shared their tricks that help them to learn the language and to motivate yourself for further training.

They say that children learn language faster than the others. However, this does not mean that adults should give up. Here are a few tips to help you cope with a new language:

1. Put realistic goals. Decide on a feasible goal, to not feel overwhelmed. One of the translators of TED, Judith Matz offers to choose 50 words of a new language and try to use them in real life. And only then move on to grammar.
2. Let the language in their everyday life. The more you use a foreign language in everyday life, the more your brain gets used to it. Olga Dmitrochenkova which translates TED lectures to Russian offers to every thing in the house hang a sticker with its name in another language. Also, do not neglect the children's books written in a foreign language.
3. Make a habit of learning the language. Search for language learning something that you like the most and stick to this habit every day. It can be a conversation with people, reading foreign articles and books or movies with subtitles.
4. Let technology help you. Even such a trifle as the installation of another language in your phone can help. Also TED colleagues suggest using a variety of applications. For example, Anki iliDuolingo.
5. Think about learning the language as an opportunity to gain new experience. For Sebastian Betti new language has always been the ability to see the world in new ways. Visiting parks, reading books on a previously unknown language, or listening to music at folk festivals. Other TED translators agree with this advice. For Anna Minoli English has become the ability to watch your favorite movies without translation, and Ivan Stamenkovic, realizing more in the fifth grade, he can speak English, I was able to watch your favorite cartoons without subtitles.
6. Make friends. Interaction with other people in a new language - is the key to learning how to express their thoughts, instead of pronouncing all the words in my head before them to give. If you want, you can easily find a native speaker who wants to talk to you. The possibilities are many, ranging from thematic meetings and ending with the Internet.
7. Do not worry about mistakes. One of the major barriers to learning a new language - it is the fear of making a mistake. But speakers your attempt to communicate with them in their own language - a sign almost genius. They will appreciate your efforts and try to help you. And be patient: the more you talk, the closer become the imaginary ideal of himself.

Alphabet predicts the global Internet by the end of 2016

Owns the search engine giant Google Alphabet company predicts that by the end of 2016, even the most remote regions of the world will have access to affordable internet with the help of the project company named Loon initiative.

The company is about to launch the next batch of Internet-balls in Indonesia and hopes to create a network of air Wi-Fi points above the planet by the end of the year.

This network will include balloons 300 that provide access to the network even if one of them will be carried away by the wind.

The initiative was announced Vice President Project Loon Mike Cassidy, who said that they hope the next year to build the first obscheplanetnaya interconnected network and for some regions to provide continuous coverage.

In May last year, Google tested the inflatable cylinders Project Loon in Brazil as part of his first experiment with networks 4G. In February 2014 a record for a balloon in the stratosphere up to 50 days, and in March of 2015 it has 187 days.