Tag: scientific method
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Statistical significance. Not so… significant!
In science, the success of an experiment is often determined by a measure called “statistical significance.” A result is considered to be “significant” if the difference observed in the experiment between groups (of people, plants, etc) would be very unlikely if no difference actually exists. The common cutoff for “very unlikely” is that you’d see…
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Chameleon theory (theories)… Everlasting worlds…
Supercomputer simulations of galaxies have shown that Einstein's theory of General Relativity might not be the only way to explain how gravity works or how galaxies form. Physicists at Durham University, UK, simulated the cosmos using an alternative model for gravity -- f(R)-gravity, a so called Chameleon Theory. The resulting images produced by the simulation…
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Solving problems. To see there are none…
In a future characterized by algorithms with ever increasing computational power, it becomes essential to understand the difference between human and machine intelligence. This will enable the development of hybrid-intelligence interfaces that optimally exploit the best of both worlds. By making complex research challenges available for contribution by the general public, citizen science does exactly…
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Giant atoms. The same as small atoms…
Scientists have proposed a new theory that combines some of the most mysterious phenomena in the Universe - black holes, gravitational waves, and axions - to solve one of the most confounding problems in modern physics. And it's got experts in the field very excited. The theory, which imagines a Universe filled with colossal 'gravitational…
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Science, scientific method, knowing...
The closest and brightest supernova in decades, SN 2014, brightens faster than expected for Type Ia supernovae, the exploding stars used to measure cosmic distances, according to astronomers. Another recent supernova also brightened faster than expected, suggesting that there is unsuspected new physics going on inside these exploding stars. (1) We expect things to happen.…
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