Tag Archive

Direct Detection of Gravitational Waves and Black Holes

Published on February 14, 2016 By sirrahc

“Now that we have the detectors to see these systems, now that we know binary black holes are out there — we’ll begin listening to the Universe.” — Prof. Gabriela González, Louisiana State University I was looking for something science-y to write about this week, and “fortune” smiled upon me with the announcement of something […]

World’s Highest Energy Particles (and No Black Hole Apocalypse)

Published on April 22, 2010 By sirrahc

Seven TRILLION electron volts! (7,000,000,000,000 eV) Or, 7 teraelectron volts. (7 TeV) Holy bug-zapper, Batman, that sounds like a lotta juice! If only we could bottle it, that would be one great “alternative” source of energy. Hold on, cowboy! We’re talking electrons, here. You know how small those things are, right? Fact is, one mosquito […]

A Black Hole in Your Backyard?: That Could Really Suck!

Published on February 11, 2010 By sirrahc

What would you think of having a black hole in your backyard? Well, not your actual backyard — but here on Earth. How about just a tiny one? Even if you aren’t scientifically-minded, you might remember black holes from watching programs like ‘Cosmos’ or sci-fi movies like, well, ‘The Black Hole’ (1979, but about to […]